


Cut and Run

by Brandydoll



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, General emo-ness, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Past Sexual Abuse, Pining, Running Away, Slow Burn, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-03-02 13:57:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18812296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brandydoll/pseuds/Brandydoll
Summary: When things go wrong, the solution is either fight or flight. Though Luna would like to think she's the type to fight when shit turns left, a particularly sharp turn sends her running without looking back. Luna hadn't planned to take over her grandfather's farm, where she spent nearly every Summer until her father passed away and her mother refused to go back. Yet here she is, a city girl floundering not just with her watering can but her emotional well-being after the deepest betrayal made her run away from everything she knew.As Luna struggles to rebuild her grandfather's dilapidated farm and her crumbling heart, she discovers she's not the only one with an affinity to cut and run. But he just might be worth sticking around for.





	1. Homecoming

My little Luna,

If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.

The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life... real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong.

I’ve enclosed the deed to that place: Rosewood Hills. It’s the perfect place to start your new life.

Some of my most cherished memories are days I spent on the farm with you and your mother and father. I’ll never forget the look on your face when you saw your first firefly, or you, me and your father picking the biggest sunflowers to surprise your mother with. You took your first steps on my front porch and helped me build my favorite scarecrow. Ol’ Charlie Candy-Corn still stands somewhere out there on the farm, though he’s seen better days.

Your father loved Rosewood Hills, and I know it’d do his soul good if you took it over. It’ll do my soul good, too. This farm is more than just a piece of land. It’s a piece of me and your father, and believe it or not, you. It’s hard to put into words, but there’s something special about this place and what it does to you. Believe me, you’ll know when you feel it.

Of all the gifts life granted me, Rosewood Hills was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honor the family name, Luna.

Good luck.

Love, Grandad

* * *

 

Luna clutched her backpack to her chest, nervously kneading the fabric with her fingers as she listened to the hum of the engine and the quiet murmurs of other passengers. Zuzu City was just short of three hours away from Stardew Valley, and the journey itself had been easy thus far. It was leaving that had been difficult.

Luna felt as if she’d ran with her tail between her legs.

Her phone buzzed against her bouncing thigh, but she ignored it, instead looking out at the hills that rolled past her window. Luna couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen so much green. She’d been surrounded by gray and grime and steel for so long it was as if she were seeing color for the first time. Even the sky looked bluer than she’d ever seen it, with clouds that reminded her of dandelion fuzz floating lazily across the afternoon.

Her phone buzzed again, and she looked at the back of the seat in front of her. The anxiety she’d felt upon packing up and leaving her entire life behind had vanished, replaced by a sinking in her stomach that felt like a black hole. All her emotion had been sucked into it. She was numb.

Once again, her phone buzzed. She closed her eyes and leaned her head back against her seat.

* * *

 

The bus harrumphed and jolted to a stop, the driver gruffly announcing over the speaker, “Pelican Town… if this is your stop, please exit the vehicle… and we’re not responsible for any lost or stolen items. So, don’t forget anything.”

Luna’s eyes fluttered open and she scrambled to gather her things. She hadn’t brought much; just her backpack and two duffel bags stuffed with the essentials, so she could survive until her roommate shipped the rest of her belongings to her, excluding the bulky stuff she had either sold off. It had felt like an estate sale.

As Luna stumbled off the bus, sunlight blinded her, and the smell of pine needles and grass tickled her nose. She breathed deeply, the clean air filling her with a feeling she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Standing on the dirt path that led from the bus stop into town, surrounded by trees and plants whose sole purpose was to reach for the sky, the emptiness that had settled in her stomach was suddenly competing for space with something else.

“Luna?”

At the sound of her name, Luna looked ahead to see a woman approaching her. She looked to be about her mother’s age, with hair the color of copper and a broad, sturdy build. She smiled as she approached, “Hi there, I’m Robin. Lewis sent me to fetch you,” she extended her hand out to shake.

Luna awkwardly shuffled the two duffel bags that occupied both her hands, and Robin laughed in response, “here, let me help you with those.”

She grabbed the heavier of the two duffel bags and slung it over her shoulder with ease, “light packer, I see. I bet you probably couldn’t take much with you on the bus.”

Luna smiled up at her, using her now free hand to push her bangs out of her eyes, “actually my room- well, my old roommate, is shipping the rest of my stuff to me. Thank you, by the way,” she hurriedly extended her hand out for Robin to shake, “I’m Luna McCarty, Arthur’s granddaughter.”

Robin accepted Luna’s hand in a firm handshake, her palm rough and callused, but somehow comforting. She gave her a once over, “wow, you’re all grown up now… last time I saw you, your head was just at my hip. It really has been a long time.”

A bit taken aback, Luna gave Robin a much closer inspection. Had she met Robin back when she was a little kid? It was possible considering just how much time her family spent on the farm before the accident. She knitted her eyebrows as she looked farther back in her memory bank, searching for Robin’s face.

Noticing her confusion, Robin laughed and clapped Luna on the back, “it’s fine if you don’t remember me. The last time I saw you had to of been 15 years ago. We can catch up later,” she took a few steps ahead, pointing her chin up the road, “now come on, let’s get you home.”

With nothing else to say, Luna nodded and followed Robin down the wooded path. _Home. This was home now._

Luckily, the farm was only about a five-minute walk from the bus stop, and Robin was excellent at small talk. Luna was thankful for Robin’s refusal to let awkward silence take over; she was still in some weird state of shock or confusion or whatever and had a hard time managing any response aside from an “mm-hm” as Robin spoke. She told Luna all about Pelican Town. She went on about how Gus made the best spaghetti you’ll ever eat down at the Stardrop Saloon, how Pierre’s General Store sold only the highest quality seeds and produce, and how beautiful the beach and neighboring forest were. She put special emphasis on how incredible the view from the mountain was, and that watching the sunset over Stardew Valley from up there was breathtaking.

“…and of course,” Robin looked over her shoulder at Luna and grinned, “I’m the best carpenter you’ll find on this side of Stardew Valley. Not to brag of course. But if ever you need work done on the farm, I’ll be happy to help.”

“Thank you,” Luna matched her smile with one of her own. As they passed through a small clearing, a sudden wave of familiarity washed over her. She knew where they were. Her stomach began to do summersaults as they passed beneath an old gate, a sign hanging above the weathered wood and metal declaring “Rosewood Hills,” proud despite its bad condition.

As she and Robin passed the threshold to her new home, Luna could barely hear the sound of shoes crunching gravel above her own heartbeat. Now that she was here, everything felt real. It hadn’t been some fever dream that she’d wake up from and go on with the monotony of what her life had become. She had really done it.

“Here it is. Rosewood Hills.”

Both Luna’s feet and heart came to a stop when they finally crossed the threshold into Grandad’s farm. It had seen better days; debris and weeds had overtaken the once luscious fields and all the old livestock buildings were in a state of disrepair. Trees and bushes had overgrown and began to take over more than their fair share of space. Without any human intervention for five years, nature had gladly begun to reclaim her Grandad’s most treasured possession. Somehow, she didn’t think he’d mind that too much, though she knew he’d be much happier with her taking over.

“What’s the matter?” Robin asked, mistaking Luna’s silence and wide-eyed stare for disappointment, “Sure, it’s a bit overgrown, but there’s some good soil underneath all that mess.”

“Oh! Nothing,” Luna said, shaking herself out of her stupor, “I… it’s just been so long,” she took another look over the land that now belonged to her. A sweet-smelling Spring breeze gently brushed her face, as if to say “hello, welcome back.” She found herself slipping backwards in time, remembering afternoons spent running between sunflower stalks as her dad laughed and chased her, exclaiming “gotcha!” as he scooped her up onto his shoulders and jogged to the porch, where mom sat watching them with rosy cheeks and a content smile. She felt as if an invisible fist had wrapped around her heart and squeezed as hard as it could.

“I missed this place,” she said quietly.

“You know, with a little work, I’m sure you’ll have this place looking beautiful again in no time. You are Arthur’s granddaughter, after all. Come on, let me show you the house.”

The house! Luna had been so preoccupied with the land itself she hadn’t even thought about where she’d be staying. She shifted her bags and followed Robin, hit again with familiarity that now felt more like a sucker punch than a wave when as they approached the front porch step.

Robin held her arm out in a grand gesture, “and here’s your new home! Well,” she laughed, “it’s not necessarily new, but you get what I mean.”

Luna laughed and looked over the old cabin. Like the rest of the farm, the house had seen better days, but all things considered it had held up pretty well, and it looked just as Luna had remembered it. She felt as if she were looking at a photo from one of her mom’s old albums, the roof now a faded red and the wood weathered. But she didn’t care. It was hers.

Suddenly, the door opened with an unceremonious creak, causing Luna to jump like a kitten and drop her duffel bag. But the shock quickly turned into delight as she looked at the face of who stepped over the threshold.

“Lewis!” she couldn’t help the grin that took over her face and she quickly hopped up the steps to greet the old man. Though she hadn’t remembered Robin, she definitely remembered her grandad’s best friend and the town mayor. He looked just as she remembered him, though his face was more wrinkled than it had been 15 years ago, and she was an inch or two taller than him now.

“It’s so good to see you, Luna,” Lewis chuckled as he pulled her into a gentle hug. He even smelled the same as she remembered; like lemon and cedar wood, though maybe just a bit dustier. As they pulled away, his eyes crinkled up as he smiled, “My, you’re all grown up now. Look at you, what a beautiful young lady you are.”

It had been weeks since Luna had kept a smile for this long, and her cheeks hurt. She didn’t care, “thanks, Lewis. You don’t look so bad yourself. It’s great to see you again.”

“Bah,” he playfully clapped her shoulder, “don’t try to flatter me.”

“Aw, come on Luna, you remember that old fart, but you don’t remember me?” Robin laughed as she joined them up on the porch.

Though she knew it was a joke, Luna did feel a little bad about having no recollection of Robin. Before she could apologize Lewis gave Robin a pointed look, one bushy gray eyebrow raised, “don’t you start with me, young lady.”

“Young lady? Lewis, don’t you try to flatter _me_.”

They all shared a friendly laugh, and Lewis turned to face her, “you know, everyone’s been asking about you.”

Luna could feel the color drain out of her face and into a pit in her stomach. Fuck, did he _know_? She hadn’t said anything to Lewis when she called him to give him the heads up that she’d be moving into the farm. Had he looked her up? Did he _know_? Had someone else looked her up? She could feel panic rising from the pit in her stomach.

“Really?” she tried to sound nonchalant.

“Yes, really!” Lewis offered her another smile that made his eyes crinkle, and the panic subsided just a little bit, “it’s not every day that someone new moves in. It’s quite a big deal!”

Oh, thank Yoba. Luna let out a sigh of relief, “oh, right, of course.”

There was a beat of silence, and Luna was thankful for that. She needed a moment to come back down from the peaks of panic she’d climbed. Lewis turned to look at the old house, his hands on his hips as he looked over it fondly, as if it were an old friend, “so… you’re moving into your grandfather’s old cottage,” he paused, reminiscing, “even though it’s been five years since he passed, I still miss him. Arthur was a good man… and a good friend,” another pause. He changed the subject, “it’s a good house. Very rustic.”

“Rustic,” Robin repeated the word with a raised eyebrow, “that’s one way to put it. I think ‘crusty’ is more apt.”

Luna couldn’t help but snort at the comment, but Lewis didn’t hesitate to give Robin the side-eye, “Don’t listen to her, Luna. She’s just trying to be slick and get you to buy one of her house upgrades.”

Robin rolled her eyes, but the look on her face was still playful. She held up her hands, “Fine, fine. You caught me.”

“Anyway,” Lewis dismissed her and turned to Luna, “you must be tired from your trip. You should get some rest. Tomorrow you ought to explore the town a bit and introduce yourself, everyone’s excited to meet you.”

Luna nodded, “Of course.”

Lewis reached into his pants pocket and fished out a keyring, placing it in Luna’s palm and closing he fingers around it. He gave her hand a squeeze, “your grandfather was a tenacious old coot, and we all miss him. He loved this place with all his heart. It was his pride and joy,” he looked at Luna in a way that reminded her so much of her grandad, and she could feel her heart being squeezed again, “I’m excited to watch you restore Rosewood to its glory days, and I know he is too. Well, I suppose Robin and I should get going.”

“Right,” Robin nodded, depositing Luna’s duffel bag near the door as Lewis made his way down the porch steps. She gave Luna a reassuring smile, one of those smiles your mom gives you when seeing you off to your first day of school, “if you need any help, mine and Lewis’ numbers are inside, and you’re always welcome to stop by my place,” she paused, and gave Luna a final once over, “you know, I feel like you and my son might get along. You look like you have similar tastes. I’ll have to introduce you two sometime.”

“Okay,” Luna smiled at them both, “thanks for your help. I’ll see you guys soon.”

As Lewis and Robin led themselves out, Luna took a moment to look over the land one more time. Under normal circumstances, she’d be overwhelmed. Just clearing out all the weeds and overgrowth would take weeks, not to mention figuring out how to grow anything. Aside from fuzzy childhood memories, Luna’s experiences with gardening were limited to browsing half-dead potted plants at the SuperJoja and killing her mom’s lawn by overwatering it. She didn’t even want to think about livestock.

But for some reason, Luna was okay. Even though she had no idea how to do anything farm related, she didn’t find herself overcome with anxiety like she had been in the city. It was different from the numbness she’d felt earlier. She wasn’t sure if it was Lewis’ reassuring words or just sheer lack of sleep, but she wasn’t worried at all.

She lugged her belongings into the small cottage and surveyed it. She only had vague memories of it, but it still felt familiar. It wasn’t anything special; just a small living space with a woodstove for cooking, old furniture, and an even smaller bedroom and bathroom with an antique tub. Grandad had left the place tidy, though a thin layer of dust had blanketed the surfaces. She’d deal with that once she’d unpacked. Even though it was only early afternoon she was exhausted, and a nap was in order.

The old mattress screeched when she flopped down onto it, the bedsprings seemingly crumbling beneath her. Luna made a mental note to replace it soon. Just as the edges of her vision were beginning to blur, her phone buzzed. She sighed loudly and yanked it out of her pocket.

She had no intention of returning the five missed calls from Joja Corp. The email from her mom and text messages Ramona had sent could wait until after her nap; another hour or two of waiting shouldn’t cause alarm.

Then she saw it. A missed call from Lorelei, along with a voicemail.

Luna’s stomach went cold at the sight of her name. Her index finger hovered over the play button for what felt like an eternity.

Lorelei.

Before she could change her mind, she tapped the delete button and the voicemail disappeared into the digital abyss.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, we can start meeting the rest of the cast and get things going. See ya'll soon!


	2. Cheers

When Luna awoke, she felt as if she’d been hit by a bus rather than spending three hours on one. Her head throbbed, and even the minuscule light sneaking through the curtains felt like too much. The only reason she resisted the urge to roll over and go back to sleep was her bladder’s insistence to find the bathroom.

She groggily made her way to the toilet, checking the time on her phone as she did her business. 7:21. She sighed in annoyance with herself. So much for a one-hour nap. 

It took a moment for the water to run from the tap after not being used for so long, but the sink worked well enough and the water was warm. Her reflection stared back at her from the tarnished mirror, the bags under her eyes giving the impression she hadn’t just slept for three hours, let alone the last three nights.

The trip to Stardew Valley hadn’t been the only thing to exhaust her. The last month had been awful, and just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, her life had gone to hell in a hand basket in a matter of days. In just a week, she packed up a small chunk of her life and sold the rest, a clean cut and run. She hadn’t updated her social media profiles in well over three weeks, and only spoke with those closest to her (really just her mom and Ramona). She’d stopped showing up to her day job as a Joja Corp phone operator days ago, and she’d quit her real job- if you could call it that -a month ago.

Just thinking about that made her nervous, so she tried not to. She still owed people commission work that had been placed before her life detonated, and there were gifts from customers sitting unopened that she wasn’t sure what to do with. She hoped her old room mate wouldn’t bother sending them to her. She hadn’t even been on Tumblr to sift through the fallout, and she didn’t plan to.

Luna felt light headed as she exited the bathroom, her head whooshing through what felt like a ball pit filled with rocks. Her hands shook as she smoothed her hair down. Had it of not been for her stomach growling like a bear just out of hibernation, she would have hunkered herself down in case of a panic attack. As it turned out, she was just hungry.

What was the place Robin had mentioned earlier? Right, the Stardrop Saloon. Gus’ spaghetti. She hadn’t eaten since that morning, and even then, she’d only had half a bowl of cereal and black coffee. She’d head down to the Saloon and get dinner, and maybe introduce herself to some of her new neighbors.

A thought crossed Luna’s mind, and she stepped back into the bathroom to check out her reflection again. Her hair was a little tangled and her clothes were wrinkled from her nap, but that was an easy fix. She didn’t think anyone would care about her ripped up Depeche Mode shirt and distressed shorts. At least her boots were new, though they probably wouldn’t stay that way for long. She hadn’t worn any makeup today, and she wasn’t used to the smattering of freckles across her face being so noticeable.

Deciding that she was presentable, she dug out a flannel from one of her bags in case it got cold later. She debated on whether she should put on any makeup, eventually settling on a few coats of mascara and lipgloss so she’d feel more put together. Not feeling like she was obligated to wear a full face of makeup was strange.

As she headed for the door, something stopped her. Stationed between the door and front window was a framed photo, the glass obscured by a fine layer of dust. She rubbed it off with her sleeve, a lump forming in her throat at what the dust had been hiding.

The photo was faded and old, taken at least 17 years ago. She sat atop her dad’s shoulders, her chubby toddler fingers laced through his pink peach fuzz colored hair, her grin wide and filled with baby teeth. Her dad had one arm up to steady her, and the other draped lazily across her mom’s bare shoulders. She was wearing a cornflower blue sundress and straw hat, a far cry from the pant-suits she wore nowadays. She smiled at the camera, looking happier than Luna had seen her in a long time. Grandad stood at her dad’s other side, grinning up at Luna with a toothpick in his mouth, the sun reflecting off his ruddy bald head and his overalls stained with dirt. They were standing in front of grandad’s prized rose bushes, the pink blooms soft and beautiful.

Luna stared at the photo for a long time. Everyone always said she looked just like her father, and looking at this photo of him, with his pale pink hair and freckle-splattered skin, she could see the resemblance. She’d even inherited the small gap between his front teeth.

And her mom. Her mom looked so warm, and happy, and full of life. Nothing like she looked now with her abrasive lawyer stance and designer clothing.

Swallowing hard, Luna opened the front door and stepped outside into the cool evening air. Not right now. Right now she needed to eat.

* * *

 

Even though it had gotten dark by the time Luna reached Pelican Town, finding the Stardrop Saloon had been easy enough. Luna’s grumbling stomach had been the perfect motivation to get her there in record time.

The saloon was alive with music and laughter, perfumed with the smell of alcohol and what Luna assumed was the spaghetti. It was different from the bars she frequented back in Zuzu City; everyone there acted as if they had something to prove, the atmosphere cold as ice. Here it seemed as if everyone knew each other and they were just there to have a good time and shoot the shit with a friend over a beer.

Luna made her way towards the bar, pulling up a seat at the far end, away from the burly looking guy who looked like he’d already downed a couple. A woman with blue hair who looked to be about her age approached her from behind the bar, “Hey there! I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

Luna could feel her cheeks heating up. That’s right, she still had to meet everyone. She managed a small smile, “Yeah, I’m new around here.”

The woman’s face lit up, “wait, are you the new farmer? Arthur’s granddaughter?”

“That’s me, though I’d hardly call myself a farmer. I’m Luna.”

The woman took her hand with a grin, shaking it excitedly, “It’s nice to meet you, Luna. I’m Emily. Can I get you something to drink? On the house, of course! Consider it a welcome gift.”

Luna’s stomach grumbled in response. Alcohol probably wasn’t such a good idea. She smiled apologetically, “can I get a raincheck on that? I’m starving, and Robin told me that Gus makes the best spaghetti in town.”

“Sure! Let me put the order in for you. I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you.”

Luna took a moment to survey the saloon’s patrons. Not a familiar face in sight, and most of them appeared to be sitting in established pairs, aside from the guy who sat by himself at the opposite end of the bar. She sighed. Yeah, she probably wasn’t going to have any other introductions tonight aside from Emily. She didn’t have the energy.

“So, Lewis said you’re taking over your grandpa’s farm, but you’re saying you’re not much of a farmer. So what made you decide to move out here?” Emily walked back over and leaned against the counter. The shimmery fabric of her dress reflecting red prisms across the wood, “don’t get me wrong, I love Pelican Town, but not many people move out here.”

“I like your dress,” Luna said, avoiding her questions entirely, “did you make it yourself?”

Again, Emily’s face lit up like a firecracker, “thank you! I did make it. I’m really into fashion. You should see some of the clothes I’ve made for my sister, Haley. I’m sure you’ll meet her soon. Did you cut up your shirt yourself?”

Luna quickly learned that Emily was the type of person where once she got started on something, there was no stopping her. Her energy was infectious, and Luna found herself caught up in an excited conversation about customizing clothes and if buying already torn jeans was cheating (Luna voted yes, Emily no). Emily had even offered to make her a dress for the upcoming Flower Dance, which Luna tried to refuse but she insisted.

“It’s no trouble at all!” Emily reassured her, “and besides, I’ve been making clothes for the same people for months now. It’ll be a fun challenge to make something specific to your taste; you have a unique style.”

Luna was just about to give in when a loud “order up!” caught their attention. Emily disappeared for a moment and came back with a basket of bread and what looked like enough spaghetti to feed a small family. The aroma of sweet tomato and savory parmesan cheese made Luna’s mouth water.

“Here you go,” Emily placed the small feast in front of Luna with a flourish, “and don’t worry about the bill. Welcome to Pelican Town,” a small group of people had made their way in, and Emily zipped off to prepare their drinks.

By this point Luna was ravenous and pacing herself as she ate posed a challenge. The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the sauce had the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The crusty bread made the experience heavenly. She polished off the heaping plate of pasta within fifteen minutes, grateful for the kindness of complete strangers that Pelican Town had gifted her with. Though she was still a bit nervous to meet everyone else, she knew deep down she had nothing to worry about.

“Come on, Seb, don’t be such a buzzkill! We should celebrate!”

“Sam, I don’t want to celebrate. I want to go home.”

At the sound of commotion, Luna looked over her shoulder to see a small group entering the saloon. She was pretty sure the blonde guy was Sam, and he was trailed by a pretty girl with purple hair and a guy that could best be described as tall, dark, and upset.

“Oh, come on, Sebastian. At least let him buy you a drink. You earned it,” the girl said, dragging the brooding one in by his arm. He mumbled something that sounded like a swear word as the trio approached the bar, the blonde one leading them.

“Hey! Emily!” Sam pulled up a chair not too far away from Luna, “some shots are in order! We’re celebrating!”

Emily raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him, and he grinned bashfully, “pleeeeeaaase?”

Emily rolled her eyes at him, but she was still smiling as she gathered the shot glasses and alcohol.

“Shots? Really, Sam? You know I hate them,” the other guy muttered as the girl dragged him towards the bar. She took a seat next to Sam, leaving an empty one between the two of them, but the broody one didn’t sit down.

“It’s just to get the party started. I’ll buy you a beer afterwards, Seb.”

Sebastian looked thoroughly annoyed, but instead of fighting a loosing battle, he begrudgingly planted himself in the empty seat. He looked as if he’d rather be anywhere but here right now, scowling at the wall of bottles behind the bar.

“So what are we celebrating, gang?” Emily asked as she headed back to their spot, lining up three shot glasses and filling them to the brim with amber liquid.

Sam clapped Sebastian on the back, and Luna found herself wondering how much product he used to get his blonde hair to stick up like that, “Sebastian just landed a job with a big tech company.”

“We’re very proud of our boy,” the purple-haired one added, pinching his cheek. Sebastian swatted her hand away with a grimace, and she laughed, “they’re paying him up front, too.”

“Hey, wow! Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Sebastian offered Emily a small smile. She sounded genuinely excited for him, and despite his annoyance it seemed like he appreciated her kind words. Luna looked him over carefully. He reminded her of the kind of guys she got crushes on in high school; tall and lean with all black clothing and hair dyed to match. His bangs flopped into his face and his eyes were just as dark as the rest of his appearance, his pale skin a stark contrast to the rest of him.

 “Wait, who are you?”

Luna stood up straight in her seat and glanced away from Sebastian only to lock eyes with the purple-haired girl. Fantastic, she’d been caught staring, and she could feel her cheeks getting hot. Luckily the girl didn’t look upset, but she was staring at Luna as if she were from an alternate dimension.

“Oh, this is Luna!” Thank Yoba for Emily, jumping in to rescue her. Emily walked over and draped an arm over her shoulders from across the bar. Luna smiled awkwardly, “she’s Arthur’s granddaughter. Remember how Lewis said she was coming to take over Rosewood Hills?”

“Oh!” a look of realization overtook the other girl’s face, “right! I almost forgot! I’m Abigail, and this is Sam and Sebastian,” she pointed at either boy respectively.

For a split second, Luna and Sebastian made eye contact. Stupidly, her heart stuttered. He blinked at her once, mumbling something she hoped meant “hello,” before looking down at the shot glass in front of him.

Ouch.

Sam swiveling his chair around to look at her, grinning at her excitedly, “Far out! You’re from Zuzu City, right? Why would you ever want to leave? Especially for Podunk little Pelican Town?” Before Luna could answer him, his eyes went wide, and his head whipped towards Emily, “hey, get the lady a shot! It’s a double celebration now!”

Again, Emily stared him down, and he gave her another “pleeeeaaase” to appease her. She grabbed the bottle and another shot glass and began pouring. Well, so much for no alcohol tonight.

After Emily finished, Sam raised his shot glass with a wide grin that reminded her of the Chesire Cat, Abigail following suit and elbowing Sebastian who reluctantly joined. Even Emily held up an invisible glass.

“To Luna and Rosewood Hills! May the literal fruits of your labor be sweet! Welcome to Pelican Town!” Sam proclaimed, nodding at her, “and to Sebastian, for chasing that check and paving his way out of here. Cheers!”

With a chorus of “cheers!” they clinked their glasses together and threw the shots back. The alcohol burned as it went down, Luna’s nostrils igniting, but she’d had worse back in Zuzu City. She wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, the kind gesture, or both, but warmth had spread into her chest.

Just as Luna went to thank them, she was interrupted by Sebastian standing up, “I gotta go. I have work to do. I have an important deadline I need to make early tomorrow morning.”

“What? But I haven’t even bought you a beer yet!” Sam protested, “and we’ve barely talked to Luna. You can’t go now!”

“I don’t care,” Sebastian said evenly, masking his frustration though he still resembled a cat trapped in a carrier, “I’m leaving.”

“Seb-“

“Sam,” Abigail warned. She gave Sebastian a knowing look, her tone tender, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

The tiniest hint of a smile snuck onto Sebastian’s lips, “yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded at Sam before heading towards the door, not even sparing a glance at Luna before disappearing into the night. Even though he was a complete stranger, Sebastian’s dismissal had smothered the warmth in her chest, leaving her cold.

“Why does he have to be like that?” Sam whined, resting his elbows on the counter and chin in his hands, “all I wanted to do was celebrate his new job. He could be on his way out of here! Is my wanting to congratulate him really that bad?” Even though he sounded like a child, it was obvious that Sam was hurt.

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Abigail placed a hand on his shoulder, “you know how Seb is. He’s probably all peopled out for the day. And besides,” she leaned forward and smiled at Luna, “I think we can easily replace him for the night anyway.”

Luna returned her smile. Hopefully Ramona and her mom wouldn’t be too upset about not getting a response until tomorrow morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go ahead and post this chapter now, before all of my time is completely eaten up by finals. Thank you to those who left Kudos! I really appreciate it <3 and thank you for reading.


	3. Pancake

To: [lunamccarty17@jojamail.com](mailto:lunamccarty17@jojamail.com)

From: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyclark.org)

Subject: Moving

Luna, are you sure this is what you want to do? You’ve never expressed an interest in nature, let alone farming. Packing up and moving to a farm with no prior experience is such a drastic decision and I’m worried about you.

I understand that you’re unhappy with your job and Zuzu City, but you can move back home. You can pick back up with school, and with your new office experience I could find you a position here at the firm.

I know how much you loved your grandfather and you want to make him proud, but you don’t have to do this. Him leaving you the deed to Rosewood Hills was a wonderful gesture but you’re under no obligation to restore it. Anyway it’s probably in awful condition after sitting abandoned for so long.

If you change your mind, let me know and I’ll buy you a bus ticket home. You don’t have to go through with this.

Love you.

-Mom

* * *

 

To: [lunamccarty17@jojamail.com](mailto:lunamccarty17@jojamail.com)

From: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyclark.org)

Subject: (none)

Luna, I don’t think you realize just what you’re getting yourself into. Farming is hard, labor-intensive work. How your grandfather ran that place by himself for all those years is beyond me. I’m afraid that you’re jumping into something that’s far beyond your skill set and you’re being too stubborn to look at things logically. I know you loved the farm when you were little, but you didn’t understand the work involved then and I don’t think you do now, either.

I still don’t understand why you’re doing this, but you’re an adult now and I can’t stop you from making your own decisions. All I can do is ask you to be safe and don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it. I’ll buy you a bus ticket home with no questions asked.

I love you. Please write back as soon as you’re settled in.

-Mom

* * *

 

To: [lunamccarty17@jojamail.com](mailto:lunamccarty17@jojamail.com)

From: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyclark.org)

Subject: (none)

Luna, are you okay? Did you not receive my other emails? I haven’t received a response and I’m worried about you.

-Mom

* * *

 

To: [lunamccarty17@jojamail.com](mailto:lunamccarty17@jojamail.com)

From: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyclark.org)

Subject: PLEASE RESPOND

Luna, I’m serious. If you don’t email me back within 24 hours I WILL file a missing person’s report. PLEASE tell me that you’re okay.

* * *

 

To: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyclark.org)

From: [lunamccarty17@jojamail.com](mailto:lunamccarty17@jojamail.com)

Subject: RE: Moving

Hey mom, sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. Cell reception is sketchy out here, so it took a few tries to get an email through. No need to file a missing persons report. I’m alive and well!

The farm is definitely showing its age, but I’ve already started the cleanup process, and so far it hasn’t been so bad. I can’t believe I didn’t remember how beautiful Stardew Valley is in the Spring. I’ll send you pictures once I have internet set up at the house.

I know you’re worried about me, but I promise I’m fine. When I opened grandad’s letter I’d been having a really shitty day at work and it felt like a message from the universe. I know that probably sounds cheesy, but I’m really happy here.

Anyway, I gotta get going. Lewis told me I should have my Spring crops planted ASAP if I want my first harvest to happen before Summer gets here. I’m thinking cauliflower and turnips to start, and maybe even some tulips if I have enough room.

I love you, and I’ll email you as soon as I have internet set up. I’m fine, I promise.

Love, Luna

PS- Lewis says hi and that you should come visit soon; he’d love to catch up with you.

* * *

 

Luna had been in a deep slumber when a noise sent her tumbling out of dreamland and onto the floor. It wasn’t until after she’d untangled herself from her blankets and had climbed halfway back into bed that she realized the noise had been a knock at the door.

The light outside her windows was still a hazy blue, confirming that it was much earlier than she was used to waking up. With a groan, she forced herself back out of bed and stumbled towards the door. Those damn Joja Delivery people always showed up at the worst times.

When Luna opened the door, she’d been expecting to find boxes containing the rest of her life and maybe a jaded Joja employee, not a complete stranger with a giant ball of orange fur wriggling in her arms.

“Good morning!” The woman said much too cheerily for that early in the morning.

Luna blinked at her.

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry, did I wake you?” The woman asked apologetically. The thing in her arms squirmed, letting out a noise halfway between a meow and a squawk.

“I- uh, yeah,” Luna croaked, voice raw from sleep, “it’s okay. Um, who are you?”

“I’m Marnie,” she smiled, and it was just as soft as the rest of her features, “I own the ranch out in Cindersnap Forest. Sorry I couldn’t make my way up here to meet you sooner! Lewis has told me so much about you.”

“Oh, it’s okay. It’s nice to meet you,” Luna said, staring at the cat in her arms. It grew more disgruntled by the second, its tail swishing like a windshield wiper in a storm.

“You see this cat here? I found him sitting by the back entrance to your farm. I think he’s a stray… poor little thing,” as if to be purposely contrary, the orange tyrant hissed. Marnie continued nonchalantly though it was becoming difficult to keep him contained, “I think he likes it here. Don’t you think this farm could use a good cat?”

Before Luna could even think about it, the cat yowled and broke free from his human confines, launching out of Marnie’s arms like a cannon ball. He darted between Luna’s legs and ran into the house in a fiery flash of fur and whiskers.

Both Marnie and Luna followed the cat with their eyes before staring back at each other in bewilderment.

“Well,” Luna shrugged, “looks like he’s made his decision.”

“I suppose so,” Marnie laughed, and the tension in the air dissipated.

Luna gestured for Marnie to follow her into the house, thanking herself for taking the time to do some dusting and straighten the place up. They spent a few minutes checking under and behind furniture in the living room without any luck. A thought struck Luna, and she headed for the bedroom. She knew just the place the little escapist probably went for.

“I’m sorry about this. He was perfectly friendly until I picked him up,” Marnie said as she trailed behind Luna, “I was worried that if I didn’t snatch him up and get him somewhere safe he’d run off into the forest and get eaten by a bear.”

“It’s okay!” Luna reassured her as they scoured the bedroom. She’d already accepted that this was just how her day was going to start off. At the sound of scratching she crouched down onto the floor, “just a little unexpected.”

“I thought about taking him home, but he looked like he was interested in the farm and I hadn’t met you yet, so…” she trailed off, joining Luna on the floor, “I don’t know, I just had a feeling about it.”

A pair of glowing green eyes stared menacingly at them from under the bed.

“Ah, yes! I’ve always wanted one of these! My own personal monster under my bed!” Luna joked.

Marnie laughed, “so what are you going to name him?”

Luna stared back at the cat. He was nearly the size of a human two-year-old, though she assumed most of his girth came from his fluffy orange fur. His ears were entirely too large for his head, making him look like a gremlin, and he glared at her as if contempt was his sole purpose in life. She loved him.

“Pancake,” Luna declared.

“ _Pancake_ ,” Marnie repeated, as if deciding if she liked the way the word felt in her mouth. She smiled as they stood up, “Pancake. I like it.”

Luna led Marnie back out to the living room, fully awake after the morning’s shenanigans. The light outside was starting to turn soft and golden, which meant it was almost time for Luna to get up anyway. They stopped in front of the door.

“Well,” Marnie exhaled, sounding as if a cat-sized burden had been lifted from her shoulders, “thank you for taking Pancake in. I’m sure he’ll warm up to you eventually.”

“It’s no trouble. Thanks for bringing him,” Luna hadn’t planned to take on any animals yet, but cats were one of her weaknesses, “he’s just scared.”

“Like I said, I run the ranch out in Cindersnap Forest. If you ever decide you want some critters around, just let me know. Robin could easily fix up that barn out there.” she grinned, “back when your grandpa was alive, he kept a small army of goats. I’m pretty sure he liked them more than he liked most people.”

The mention of goats reminded Luna of her childhood for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few days. Though it was fuzzy, she remembered her grandad letting her play with the baby goats and showing her how to feed them apple slices without them nipping her fingers. She’d always had a soft spot for the cute, though slightly unsettling, horned creatures.

Luna smiled at her as she opened the door, “thank you. I’ll keep that in mind. And I’ll let you know how Pancake is doing the next time I see you.”

After seeing Marnie off, Luna added stopping by Robin’s to her ever-growing list of things to do.

* * *

 

By the time Luna finished tending to her garden and newly adopted son, the sun had risen well past the center of the sky. It was bright outside, but a gentle breeze followed Luna as she journeyed up the mountain trail.

With the morning’s surprises, it’d taken her longer than anticipated to make it into town that day, and she was worried Robin would be closing up shop by the time she reached the top of the mountain. She really shouldn’t have spent so much time chatting up Pierre at the general store; not only was she running late, but he’d somehow convinced her to buy a bigger rucksack and more tulip seeds than she could possibly plant before the end of Spring. The man was friendly but his determination to show Joja-Mart up wasn’t something to be trifled with.

A rabbit darted across the path just up ahead, disappearing into the evergreen bushes with a gentle rustle of leaves. Luna was struck by the thought that she hadn’t seen a real-life rabbit in years; it was rare for them to come out back home in the suburbs with all the people around, and just the idea of rabbits darting across city sidewalks was laughable. She’d forgotten just how much she liked them.

Luna made it up to Robin’s house just as the sun dipped behind the mountain, taking a moment to admire the beautifully constructed home before heading inside. Robin stood at a work bench near the window, her focus unbroken from the chair she’d been working on. Luna watched silently as she worked, admiring how effortlessly she carved intricate flowers and vines into the wood. It made her miss the art supplies she hadn’t taken with her on the bus.

Feeling eyes on her back, Robin turned away from her project, grinning at sight of Luna, “I was wondering when you’d make it up here to visit me. How’s it going on the farm?”

“It’s good,” Luna couldn’t help but match Robin’s smile with one of her own, “clearing out all the weeds and crap was a pain, but I finally have some crops planted,” she took a step forward into the workshop. It’d probably been a living room at some point, “nice house.”

“Thank you,” Robin said, pride inflating her voice, “I built the place myself, adding on to it whenever more space was needed. The most recent addition was my husband’s in-house laboratory. Now _that_ was a challenge.”

Laboratory? What did her husband do for a living? Experiment on the slimes in the cave? Did he create super slimes?

Reading the befuddlement on Luna’s face, Robin explained, “Demetrius studies the local plants and wildlife, and writes field reports for the government. Figures you haven’t met him yet. If’s he’s not in the lab, he’s out chasing rabbits and digging up cave carrots,” she shook her head and smiled before retreating behind her desk, “so, I’m assuming you didn’t come all the way up here just to visit me. What can I help you with?”

While visiting had been part of the trip, Luna supposed it was best to cut to the chase, “goats.”

“Goats?” Robin repeated.

“Goats,” Luna affirmed, nodding her head.

Robin looked amused, but she gestured for Luna to come forward, “well, I hate to break it to you, but I’m fresh out of goats. I can give you directions to Marnie’s ranch though.”

“Not even a wooden goat sculpture?”

“You’d need to go to Leah for that one.”

Luna laughed. Robin’s sense of humor reminded her of her mom’s, when she wasn’t busy with clients and set to lawyer mode, “okay, okay. I’m considering getting goats sometime in the future, maybe over Summer, but I can’t do that with the barn in it’s current state. How much would it run me to get it refurbished?”

“Now we’re talking,” Robin said as she pulled something up on her computer. It looked alien surrounded by all the handcrafted furniture, “a barn is something I can help you with. Hm…”

Luna waited patiently as Robin pulled up various documents, pausing every few moments to jot something down on the notebook beside her. After a few minutes she tore a page out and handed it to Luna.

18,000 gold, not including materials. Her stomach plummeted.

“Goats are more particular about housing, so I’d need to refurbish the barn and upgrade it,” she gave Luna a knowing look, “tell you what, though. I can refurbish the barn for 6,000 gold and once you have the money saved up I’ll come back and upgrade it. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of wood and stone on the property already, at least enough to refurbish the barn.”

Luna rolled the numbers around in her head like dice. She’d saved up a decent amount of gold from working at Joja-Corp plus commission work, and if her last paycheck from was forwarded to her soon she could at least swing the refurbishment. She folded the paper between her fingers. How much would it cost for her to have a real kitchen added to the house?

Before Luna could ask, the sound of a door being slammed shut and heavy foot steps halted her train of thought. Both she and Robin turned to the source of the noise, and Luna wanted to crawl into a hole at the sight of Sebastian in the doorway.

He was looking at her as if she would stain their floor if she stood there for too long.

“Sebby!” Robin said warmly as she walked out from behind her desk to stand beside Luna, “I was wondering if you’d died down there. You know it’s nearly 6 o’clock, right?”

Sebastian rolled his shoulders, his joints popping, “nope, still alive for the most part. I just had an important deadline to meet and time got away from me,” his voice reminded her of marmalade. Tangy and sweet but with a bitterness that hit you at the end.

“Fair enough,” Robin easily accepted his explanation. She jabbed a friendly elbow into Luna’s arm, “have you met Luna yet? She’s Arthur’s granddaughter, carrying on the family name over at Rosewood Hills.”

Luna smiled at him weakly, a peace offering for whatever offence she’d committed against him. She was pretty sure her existence alone was what made him dislike her, and that bothered her.

He didn’t return her smile. Just looked halfway at her, halfway at the wall behind her, “I have,” and that was that. He fumbled through his pocket for a cigarette as he beelined for the front door.

“Sebastian,” his mother’s stern tone halted him, “you can’t stick around to chat for a few minutes?”

“Sam is working the night shift at Joja-Mart tonight and wanted to have a jam session beforehand. I’ll be late if I don’t leave now,” he didn’t even turn to look at them, just talked at the door.

Robin sighed, and the tone of her voice told Luna that this was a normal occurrence, “Fine, fine. Tell Sam and Abby I said ‘hi.’”

Without any sort of affirmation, Sebastian was out the door. Luna released the tension she’d been holding in her shoulders with a sigh.

“Don’t mind him,” Robin said with a roll of her eyes, “Seb isn’t much of a people person. If it weren’t for Abigail and Sam, I don’t think he’d ever leave his room.”

Luna could see why, but she didn’t say it out loud. She just wished he’d gift her with the common courtesy of looking at her like a human being rather than a dust bunny, “it’s okay. I met him and his friends at the saloon last week. They all seem really nice,” she didn’t bother mentioning Sebastian’s cutting out the way he did.

Robin nodded as she sat back down behind her desk. She was looking at Luna again, studying her. She rested her head in her hands, “I just figured since you guys look like you have similar interests, he’d at least make the effort…” she stopped and shook her head. She gestured at Luna’s arms, “did those hurt?”

At first Luna didn’t know what she meant, but quickly realized when she looked over her own, ink covered arms. At this point she hardly even noticed them accept for when other people pointed them out, “yeah, but not as much as you’d think. It kinda feels like being scratched by a cat,” she pointed at the delicately drawn antlers and roses that decorated her collar bones, “these ones hurt the most.”

“Hmmm. I like them,” Robin said thoughtfully.

Just then, a tall, dark-skinned man came bustling through the front door, arms filled with yellow flowers and what Luna thought were leeks. Robin’s face lit up as she stood to greet him.

“Hey, honey, whatcha got there?” she asked as she stepped towards him, opening her arms to help him with his haul. She kissed him on the cheek as he passed over a few of the flowers.

“Samples for a test I’m running on cross-pollination,” he explained, grinning like a child who’s just brought home a lizard he’d found at the park. It took him a moment to notice Luna, “Oh, hello. I don’t believe we’ve met before.”

“Demetrius, this is Luna, Arthur’s granddaughter,” she smiled, “Luna, this is my husband. We were just discussing some possible additions to the farm.”

Had it of not been for the obscene amount of plants he was carrying, Luna would have reached out to shake his hand. Instead she offered him her brightest smile, “hi, it’s nice to finally meet you!”

“Ah! It’s nice to meet you too! I might be contacting you to gather some samples for my studies. I’ll compensate you for your contributions, of course,” he looked back at Robin, “is Maru here?”

“No, she mentioned something about helping Harvey with a project after work.”

“And Sebastian?”

“He just left to hang out with Sam and Abigail.”

Demetrius got a look on his face that told Luna he wasn’t impressed. It looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes, “why am I not surprised. Was he up all night again?”

“He was probably working,” Robin shrugged, “you know he’s a night owl.”

This time Demetrius did roll his eyes, but he dropped the subject, “seeing as how no one else is home, can you help me label these? It’s just about time you close up shop, right?”

“Sure, I’ll meet you in the lab,” Robin turned back to Luna as Demetrius disappeared down the hallway, “you mull things over and let me know when you’ve got things sorted out. There’s no hurry.”

“Thanks, I will,” dismissed, she headed towards the door.

“And Luna,” just as she turned the doorknob, Robin’s final statement stopped her, “Don’t mind Sebastian. He’s like that with everyone he doesn’t know very well. I can tell your feelings were hurt.”

Luna could feel the heat rising from her cheeks up to her ears, “got it.”

* * *

 

When Luna got home that evening, she was shocked to discover a stack of boxes sitting on her porch. She was even more shocked at how much her final paycheck from Joja-Corp was; they’d paid out her sick and vacation hours along with what she’d already been entitled to. She’d have more than enough to upgrade the barn.

It took Luna a little while to get all the boxes inside, and even longer to sort through everything, but fueled by the high of knowing she’d have her goats soon, she didn’t care. As she unpacked her antique dolls and lined them up on the bookshelf along with her CD collection, her modest little cottage was really starting to feel like home. Even more so when she hung up her favorite watercolor paintings and set up her old J64, organizing the game cartridges by which ones were her favorites. She had her paints and sketchbooks again, and the prospect of fucking off to the forest for a day and painting landscapes excited her. Even more exciting, now that she had internet again her laptop wasn’t doomed to become a paperweight.

Slowly but surely, Luna was starting to feel like herself again. Though she was sure having her personal artifacts back had something to do with it, Grandad had been right about this place. It was as if the light inside her was finally flickering back to life after being snuffed out for a long time.

The feeling didn’t last long.

Luna’s mood soured when she opened the last box. It was filled with unopened packages from various addresses. Paul from Mineral Town, Christian from Zuzu City, Todd from Forget-Me-Not Valley. There was at least a dozen parcels, and Luna had no idea what to do with them. She still hadn’t checked her business email or Tumblr, and the idea of doing so made her stomach upset. She’d left behind this part of her life on purpose.

Refusing to let the past sink its claws into her, she folded the box up and shoved it under her bed. If she couldn’t see it, it didn’t exist. She’d deal with it when she was ready.

If she was ever ready.

She sat on the floor of her bedroom for a long time. Eventually, Pancake crawled out from under the bed, cautiously making himself at home in her open lap. He purred like a lawnmower when she scratched behind his ears.

She wished she could be as brave as he cat was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's a little in-betweener to hold you over. Hurray for exposition! I know ya'll are here for Seb, and I promise you won't be disappointed with the next three chapters. Thanks for reading and leaving kudos <3 I really appreciate it! I'll be back once I'm done with finals.


	4. Cauliflower

**Ramona Salazar**

How are the cauliflower doing?

**Luna McCarty**

<IMAGE SENT>

they thicc

**Ramona Salazar**

WOW! They grow up so fast ;(

send me one!

**Luna McCarty**

Lmao

I don’t think it’d survive joja-mail

**Ramona Salazar**

true. One can dream

So everything’s good on your end?

**Luna McCarty**

yeah nothing to complain about. I’m just tired

**Ramona Salazar**

You’re always tired

Is that one guy still being an asshole?

**Luna McCarty**

Edgelord?

Idk, haven’t seen him. Planning to keep it that way

**Ramona Salazar**

Lol.

Hey, I think I’m gonna try to visit you over Summer.

Will you have enough room for me?

**Luna McCarty**

UM YES! Please come visit me, I miss you!

<IMAGE SENT>

And you need to meet Pancake!

**Ramona Salazar**

MY BOY

I’ll probably be able to make it down there by the end of summer!

My whole family is demanding visits over break. I MISS YOU TOO <3

* * *

 

Luna left Pierre’s General Store with a newfound spring in her step. Not only had Pierre excitedly bought up all the tulips and spinach she’d grown, but Ramona was coming to visit. Even though it was months away, she missed her best friend more than she missed her own mother. They’d been inseparable ever since Luna moved to the suburbs after her dad passed away, and this was the longest they’d ever been apart. The last time she’d seen her was right before Luna moved to Zuzu City and Ramona left for university in central Ferngill. She hadn’t even questioned Luna’s decision to run away and become a farmer, just demanded that she could come to visit. Everyone in town was nice enough, but no one could ever compare to Ramona.

Luna was so giddy at the prospect of seeing her best friend she hadn’t realized she’d skipped right past the town message board. By the time she’d noticed she was already halfway home, but it didn’t feel right to not check. Running errands for her neighbors made her feel like a member of the community rather than just an onlooker.

The message board was plastered with the usual fetch quests; Clint wanted to inspect some copper ore, Lewis had lost his ‘lucky shorts’ and needed help finding them, Jodi needed a head of spinach to cook with dinner that night. Nothing out of the ordinary. Luna finished making a mental list of what she could deliver that day, but just as she started to leave she noticed one last note, pinned to the bottom corner of the board like an afterthought.

“…feel like throwing a cauliflower as hard as I can against the mountain face.

Please deliver to Sebastian at 24 Mountain Road.

-240g on delivery”

Luna stared at the note as if it were written in a foreign language. She read the message again and a third time, expecting the name to change or the request to be less ridiculous. She had to have been reading it wrong.

Even after repeating the message in her head over and over again, the words didn’t change. Sebastian wanted to take his anger out on a vegetable.

Well, who was she to judge?

* * *

 

It was early evening by the time Luna made it up the mountain trail. Clint had been pissed that the ore she’d brought him had been mined last week, mumbling about how it ‘made him depressed’ as she passed the sack of copper over to him. She’d barely managed to weasel out of Jodi’s kind offer of staying for dinner after delivering the spinach, and just thinking about Lewis’ lucky shorts made her want to throw up. She’d never be able to look at him and Marnie the same way again.

Luna clutched the paper bag to her chest as if to hide it from the wind, careful not to break any florets off the cauliflower inside. This was stupid. She should have just ignored Sebastian’s request like he ignored her.

She thought back to her earlier conversation with Ramona and sighed. So much for not caring about Sebastian and wanting to stay away from him.

She didn’t understand it. Everyone else she’d met so far had been perfectly nice and welcoming to her. Everyone except for Marnie’s nephew, Shane, but at least with him she could tell it wasn’t anything personal. Sebastian could hardly stand to look at her, and when he did it felt as if he wanted her to spontaneously combust. The few times she’d seen him in passing when delivering ‘specimens’ to Demetrius or talking renovations with Robin, she caught him drilling holes in her head with eyes when he wasn’t acting like she didn’t exist.

Luna didn’t know why, but she took his disliking her personally. She’d decided that the cauliflower was a challenge, like he was daring her to approach him. After all, who else in town grew enough produce to spare some for something as ridiculous as hurdling it at the mountain? He had to of known when he posted that dumb request that she’d be the one to make the delivery. She didn’t even want the money. She just wanted to see the look on his face when she showed up at his doorstep, cauliflower in hand, and shoved it at him as if to say ‘fuck you. I’m not afraid of you. Now stop being an asshole.’

She didn’t bother knocking when she got to Sebastian’s house. She’d been in and out of there so many times in the last couple of weeks that Robin didn’t even looked surprised to see her whenever she showed up. Just waved her in and asked how the farm was, and if she needed her or Demetrius.

Luna almost lost her nerve as she entered Robin’s workshop. There was no turning back now, not without an awkward explanation of why she’d materialized with a giant cauliflower no one had asked for.

Robin looked up from her computer and smiled, “Hey, Luna. What brings you here today? I’m just about to close up shop.”

“Um…” Luna awkwardly shuffled the bag in her hands, “delivery?” she said, holding it up.

“Oh, did Demetrius ask you to bring him more vegetables to experiment on?”

Luna swallowed, “Not exactly… uh, is Sebastian home?”

Robin stared at Luna for a long while, like she was waiting for her to say she was kidding. Finally, she asked, “Sebastian asked you to bring him something?”

“Yeah,” Luna nodded. Yoba, this was stupid, “he posted a request up on the message board.”

Robin blinked, “huh,” her tone was saturated in disbelief, but after a long pause she pointed her chin at the hallway, “Seb’s room is downstairs. Abby and Sam are down there right now, so you’ll have back up if you need it.”

Luna let out a laugh that sounded more like a parrot squawking. Robin was most definitely aware of how Sebastian had been treating her.

“Thank you,” Luna said, trying not to sound nervous as she mustered up her courage and headed for the stairs.

When she got to the door, it took all Luna had not to bolt back up the stairs and run home. She could throw the cauliflower at Robin on the way out and she could give it to the goblin that lived in her basement. Before she could talk herself out of it, Luna took a deep breath and knocked. She could hear music and voices muffled through the wood.

“Luna!” She was both surprised and relieved when Sam opened the door, as if he’d been expecting her.

She smiled back at him, “hey, Sam. Is Sebastian around?”

“Yeah, Abby’s piercing his lip,” a devilish grin spread across his face, “you wanna watch?”

Luna had barely opened her mouth to answer when Sam grabbed her wrist and tugged her inside, shutting the door behind them. Her heart started doing jumping jacks in her chest. This was not part of the plan.

Abigail and Sebastian sat on the floor in the middle of his room with their legs crossed, a plastic bag and what Luna recognized as a piercing clamp between them. Abigail looked over her shoulder at them, her eyes growing wide when they met Luna’s, “oh hey! Wasn’t expecting to see you here. How’ve you been?”

“I’m good,” Luna managed. She chanced a glance at Sebastian. He couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge her existence.

Sam lead her to their little circle, and she plopped down between him and Abigail. Her heart continued to pound against her chest. Even with Sam and Abigail being so welcoming, she couldn’t help but feel like she was on enemy territory and would be shot down at any second.

Sebastian’s room was almost as big as her entire house, and didn’t feel claustrophobic even with all the furniture and people in it. The walls were plastered with posters and mementos, most of which Luna was familiar with, and the room felt lived-in despite how clean it was. The only thing out of place was a book that’d fallen on the floor, excluding her presence there.

“Abby’s gonna pierce my eyebrow next,” Sam said, gently nudging Luna’s elbow with his own, “Seb and I will be twins.”

“That’s if you don’t pass out first,” Sebastian remarked. Every time he spoke it surprised Luna.

“Fuck off, I’ll be fine.”

“That’s what you said when you watched me pierce his eyebrow,” Abigail said as she slipped on a pair of gloves. She snapped the latex for dramatic effect, “then you threw up.”

If Sam was embarrassed, he did a damn good job hiding it. He shrugged, “my mom had made fish casserole for dinner that day. It didn’t sit well.”

“Sam’s afraid of needles,” Abigail said matter-of-factly, looking directly at Luna, “don’t listen to him.”

Luna didn’t know what to say, so she smiled. Recently she didn’t have much to say at all, unless she was talking to Ramona. She watched in silence as Abigail grabbed a fine tip marker and dotted the left side of Sebastian’s bottom lip. He stuck his tongue out at her and she smacked his arm.

“You better put that back in your mouth or you’re going to end up with a tongue ring too,” she warned as she got the clamp ready.

Sebastian’s lips turned upwards and he slid his tongue out past his chin. When Abigail reached up and pinched the tip before sticking it back in his mouth, Luna felt even more like an intruder. They were so comfortable with each other. His hard edges seemed to soften whenever Abigail touched him, and she was sure this was the first time she’d heard him laugh. Part of her was surprised he even knew how to smile. Watching the intimate exchange made Luna feel like a voyeur, but Sam seemed unphased.

“Did your piercing hurt?”

“Huh?” Luna had been so wrapped up in them she hadn’t realized Sam was talking to her. She turned to face him. He was staring intently at the ball that sat atop her cupid’s bow.

“Oh, well yeah. The medusa piercing wasn’t that bad, but the cartilage piercings were the worst,” she gestured at her ears. Now that was a lie. Her nipple piercings had hurt the most out of all of them.

Sam couldn’t hide the shudder that overtook him.

Luna tried to be covert as she glanced back at Sebastian, who still hadn’t acknowledged her presence despite her being in his bedroom. He hadn’t given her so much as a side-eye. She hadn’t decided if she cared about him liking her or not, but she did care that he acted like she was nothing more than a dust particle floating in his space.

As if he’d heard her thoughts, Sebastian’s gaze fell on her, just long enough for her to notice. She suddenly felt hot, and without thinking blurted, “do you need me to hold your hand?”

“No. You might need to hold Sam’s though,” and just like that, it was over. His attention was back on Abigail, who had just finished prepping the needle and jewelry.

“Ready?” she asked.

Sebastian nodded, and Abigail clamped his lip without hesitation. Luna felt a phantom pain in her lip as the needle slipped through his flesh like butter. He didn’t even flinch.

“Oh. No. Nope. Nope. NOPE,” Sam had shot up from the floor and practically teleported himself to the stairwell with lightspeed. Luna struggled not to laugh.

Unphased, Abigail slid the ring into Sebastian’s lip and pulled the needle out in one fluid motion, as if she were a trained professional. Luna had the sneaking suspicion that she wasn’t, but she’d gotten her first tattoo back in high school in her ex-boyfriend’s garage. She could still see the pin-prick spots of ink beneath the goat’s head that covered them up. She was in no position to judge.

“Is it over?” Sam asked from the door, trying and failing miserably to not sound as scared as he looked.

“All done,” Abigail said, waving him over.

A trail of blood had dripped down Sebastian’s chin, but Sam didn’t seem at all bothered by it now that the needle was out of sight, “wow,” he breathed, “that looks sick.”

“Still planning on getting your eyebrow pierced?” Sebastian asked.

“Uh, you know what? I think I’ll pass.”

Sebastian smirked as he dabbed at his chin with a wadded-up tissue paper.

Luna wasn’t sure what to do next as Abigail began cleaning up, carefully bagging the needle and tossing it along with the bloody tissues. At least not until Sam pointed at the brown paper bag she still held in her hands.

“Yo, what’s that? You smuggling in contraband to Seb?”

Oh.

 _Oh_.

“Actually, yes,” Luna said as she carefully took the cauliflower out, reminded that she was there for a reason and not just part of the group, “Sebastian, here’s that cauliflower you asked for.”

The silence that followed went on much longer than it should have, and Luna was entirely too aware of everyone’s eyes on her. Even Sebastian was finally looking at her, only it was like she’d sprouted a second head.

Sam and Abigail stared long and hard at the vegetable in her hands, then at Luna, and then at each other, before busting up into a fit of laughter. Now Sebastian was looking at the two of them like they’d grown second heads. Luna gave them the same look.

          Sebastian looked between the two of them one last time before realization hit him, and his face fell flat. His dark eyebrows sat in parallel lines over his narrowed eyes, as if this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

It took Luna only a second longer to put two and two together and come to grips with being had.

“Yoba,” Abigail sputtered between hysterics, “I didn’t think that’d actually work.”

“I know!” Sam laughed right back at her. He playfully shoved Sebastian, “you got GOT.”

 “Hilarious,” Sebastian droned, crossing his arms, “what did you guys put up on the message board?”

“That you wanted to throw a cauliflower as hard as you could against the mountain face,” Sam answered simply.

Sebastian sighed, “seriously? Why?”

“Because we knew it’d confuse the hell out of you,” Abigail shrugged, as if it were obvious.

Luna stood there stupidly with her cauliflower while Sebastian fumed, and Sam and Abigail rode off the high of their prank being executed flawlessly. Even Luna had to admit that it was pretty funny. The best pranks were the ones that didn’t do any harm but left the receiving party thoroughly bewildered, and they’d succeeded. The laughter bubbled out from between her lips before she could stop it, and it wasn’t long before even Sebastian was smiling begrudgingly at them.

Once they’d calmed down enough to speak without their lips quivering, Luna asked, “do you still want the cauliflower?”

Sebastian blinked at it, then at Abigail and Sam. They looked at him expectantly. He sighed as if he’d spent years perfecting the art of sounding annoyed, “alright, fine. Do you guys want to watch me throw a cauliflower against the mountain? Would you find that entertaining?”

Luna cheered along with Sam and Abigail, and the four of them bounded up the stairs.

They tried to sneak past the front room without drawing attention to themselves, but Robin was still at her desk when they headed for the door. When they called out a quick goodbye to her she was away from her desk and on Sebastian in a flash.

Robin pinched his chin between her thumb and index finger, examining the shiny metal ring that hung from his swollen lip. Sebastian grinned at her like a child who’d just broken a rule and knew they were going to get away with it.

Robin didn’t look angry, but she didn’t look impressed either. Her face was in a state of annoyed bewilderment that rivaled her son’s usual expression. She released Sebastian’s face with a sigh, “Oh, Demetrius is gonna give you so much shit.”

“Good,” Sebastian retorted, grin unfaltering. He stepped back towards the group, “I’m going out for awhile.”

Robin rolled her eyes and waved them off into the night.

Surprisingly, Luna cheered the loudest when Sebastian lobbed the cauliflower at the mountain face as if he were throwing a dodgeball as hard as he could at a childhood bully. There was something cathartic about watching it explode like a firework upon impact. Abigail filmed the whole thing on her phone and Sebastian’s socked Sam afterwards for yelling ‘YEET’ as he threw the vegetable. Abigail managed to film that too.

It’d hardly ended up being the confrontation Luna had expected, but she still felt like she’d somehow made progress. At least Sebastian sort of nodded at her when she said goodbye.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! My current plan is to post updates on Mondays and Thursdays now that finals are just about over. Also, my headcanon is that Sam purposely repeats cringey memes for the express purpose of getting a reaction out of Seb.


	5. Ocean

Chapter 5

To: [lunaheartsigh@jmail.com](mailto:lunaheartsigh@jmail.com)

From: [lorelelailives@jmail.com](mailto:lorelelailives@jmail.com)

Subject: Miss You

Hey, baby. I’ve been thinking about you and thought it was about time to check up on you. You haven’t posted anything on Jumblr or any of your socials, so I guess you’re still mad at me. I bet you don’t ever want to see me again, right?

You should see the hits we’ve been getting. I swear to Yoba your posts on Jumblr have gotten so many notes since I posted Thrills last month. Even your Jinstragram profiles are blowing up, both your personal and your art profile. All your follower counts have practically doubled over night. I’m sure you’ll be getting a lot more commission work soon 😉 you can thank me later.

I get that you’re pissed off, but I did what I did for both of us. You’re not the only one who’s gotten a boost, but I did this more for you than myself. I didn’t need the extra followers, but you were always bitching about how you wanted to catch up with me so, here you go. The fact that you’re so mad about it when I was just trying to help you really hurts. The least you could do is talk to me.

 Anyway, I don’t know where you are now, but I hope you’re doing okay. I still love you and would take you back in an instant. What we had was special, Luna. You and I both know we can’t find a connection like that with anyone else. As much as I miss you, I’m not sad about you running off to wherever you did. I know you’ll come back to me eventually.

I love you.

-Lorelai

* * *

 

Luna cursed at herself for not bringing an umbrella as she darted down the road, rain pelting her back and soaking through her flannel. When she’d watched the news that morning the weatherman had sworn up and down that it wasn’t going to rain today, promising there was only “a 20% chance of light showers after midnight.” Bullshit. Luna should have trusted her instincts when she stepped outside and saw the dark, angry looking clouds cresting upon the hills, but nope. She’d left to go foraging without her umbrella, let alone a proper coat.

Had she of not been so close to the beach already, she would have just called it a day and gone home. She could almost hear her J64 and _Solarian Chronicles: Scroll of Eternal Darkness_ were calling her name on the wind. Nothing sounded more appealing than veging out and playing video games for the rest of the day, a cat purring in her lap and the rain pitter-pattering against her window.

Luna misjudged how deep the puddle in her path was and ran into it so hard she soaked her entire front, yelping as the water trickled into her boots and soaked her socks. Her feet made gross squelching noises with each step as she approached the beach. Fucking fantastic. Her insoles were probably ruined now.

It was fine. She’d just check the shore for shells and coral before heading back home and pretending this whole excursion never happened.

The rainwater had made the sand dense enough that she didn’t sink as she approached the shore, making it to the water with ease. The tide had brought in an unusual abundance of sea urchins and clams, so at least she hadn’t gotten soaked for nothing. The sea urchins would fetch a modest amount of gold, and she could use the clams for cooking and craft some Speed-Grow if she wanted to.

The storm had aggravated the usually calm waters, the tide pushing and pulling as if it were trying to reclaim the shore and swallow it up forever. Luna paused for a moment and looked out towards the horizon. The clouds were nearly as dark as the waves that lapped the sand, the clap of the waves harmonizing with the roaring rain. The two looked as if they melded together at the horizon, the ocean and storm clouds joining into a gray abyss.

It would be so easy to disappear behind that curtain of clouds and rain, never to be seen again. Luna imagined running across the sea and evaporating into the clouds, hitching a ride with them when they parted and began the voyage to their next destination. No one would be able to find her without being lost forever too.

Luna shook her head and continued toward the docks. She shouldn’t be thinking like that. She’d already performed her disappearing act and there was no need for an encore. 

She knelt to pick up a gnarled bundle of coral that had washed up at her feet, but something stopped her. She squinted and stared at the lone figure that stood at the end of the pier, barely visible against the canvas of the darkened sky and sea.

Who in their right mind would be out in this awful weather, aside from Luna? Curiosity got the best of her and she found herself venturing towards the figure who stood enveloped by rain and gloom.

It didn’t take long for her to realize who it was.

Sebastian looked like a weathered statue at the end of the pier, like he’d always been there and would be until the tide claimed him. He stood so close to edge it was as if he were daring the ocean to try and take him. Like Luna, he was hardly dressed for the weather, his trademark hoodie completely soaked through and dripping onto the wood.

Luna slowed as she approached him, worried that if she came up on him too quickly he’d spook and fall into the water. She wasn’t sure why she was bothering in the first place. He hadn’t been outright mean to her when she’d delivered the cauliflower to him days before, but he hadn’t been friendly either. What was she expecting to happen now?

“Hey,” Luna said gently as she came to a stop beside him, careful not to stand too close to the edge. From this vantage point, the storm looked angrier than it had from the beach.

“Hey,” Sebastian echoed back. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t look at her.

Luna awkwardly balanced on the balls of her feet, swinging the pail she’d used for collecting shells. Now what?

After a few minutes of silently staring off into the horizon, Luna chanced looking up at him, as if she’d turn to stone if they made eye contact. He watched the storm as if he were posing a challenge, his black eyebrows pointed downwards against his equally dark eyes and his mouth pulled into a straight line. His expression was an in between; not quite angry, not quite sad, but somewhere in the middle.

Though Luna hated to admit it, she felt as if she were living out one of her high school fantasies. What 16-year-old Luna wouldn’t have given to be in this position, standing in the middle of a storm, broodily watching the ocean with a cute emo guy. Only if this were one of her fantasies come to life, Sebastian wouldn’t be treating her like white noise.

“So…” she cleared her throat, “how’s your lip piercing?”

“It’s fine,” the words came out flat.

Luna pursed her lips. The hard expression on his face didn’t change.

“The ocean is really beautiful during the rain, huh?” she couldn’t keep her voice from shaking. This had been a bad idea.

Sebastian’s lips pulled into an even tighter line, and her stomach plummeted.

“The ocean is best enjoyed alone… don’t you think?” His tone was controlled but sharp enough to cut through Luna like a knife.

She stood there for a second, wondering what she’d done for him to treat her the way he did, why he couldn’t even look at her. Was she really that insignificant? If he really hated her, he could at least do it right. His indifference infuriated her.

Luna could feel the anger bubbling in her stomach like lava, burning her from the inside out. Part of her wanted to push him off the dock and be done with it. He’d wash up on the shore at some point. Even the ocean wouldn’t be able to handle his sour attitude and would spit him back out like a warhead.

Instead, she wordlessly turned on her heel and left. Fine. He could be miserable and emo in solitude, and she’d do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So I ended up splitting this chapter in half, hence why it's a bit on the short side. Had I of not done that there probably wouldn't have been an update today. Also, I picture Joja being similar to Buy n Large from Wall-E, so they own almost every big company and put a 'J' in front of everything. The next two chapters are gonna be fun ;) see ya'll soon


	6. Flower Dance

To: [lunaheartsigh@jmail.com](mailto:lunaheartsigh@jmail.com)

From: [lorelelailives@jmail.com](mailto:lorelelailives@jmail.com)

Subject: Still Miss You

So I guess this is my punishment, huh? You’ve been ignoring me for weeks now. Any normal person would already be over it, but not you. Can’t say I’m surprised.

Look, it hurts so fucking bad that you’re ignoring me over something that’s not even a big deal. Posting Thrills helped both of us, especially you. I just wanted to give us a boost and it worked. You’re my partner in crime and I’m going absolutely crazy not seeing every day. You’ve got me feeling like a heroin addict without a plug.

I love you so much, Luna, and I fucking miss you. The least you could do is call me.

Lorelei

* * *

 

Luna stared at her reflection as she smoothed out the front of her dress. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d worn white, let alone liked how the color looked on her.

She’d nearly forgotten about the Flower Dance until Emily showed up at her door the previous morning, dress in hand. Luna had been thoroughly confused until Emily reminded her that she’d agreed to let her make the dress the day she’d moved in. She’d been even more confused when she tried the dress on and it fit like a glove; she hadn’t even given Emily her measurements. Witchcraft.

The dress was far from Luna’s usual style, but the lace flowers that adorned the sweetheart neckline were beautiful and the skirt flared out at just the right spot. It fell a smidge below her knee, leaving her black combat boots exposed. She hadn’t bothered bringing any nicer shoes with her when she moved, and at least her signature 18-eyes made her feel more like herself in the frilly dress.

She rummaged through her makeup bag, hesitating as she went to apply her foundation. Part of her really didn’t want to go to this “Flower Dance,” whatever it was. Last night she’d made the mistake of checking her business email, and what she found kept her tossing and turning all night. The foundation would cover her freckles, but not the bags weighing down her eyes.

She let out a deep sigh as she did her eyeliner, drawing the black into little wings for the first time in weeks. She was doing this for Emily. She couldn’t bear the thought of her having gone through all this work for nothing. Still, she didn’t feel any better about going.

After finishing her makeup, she styled her hair in a half up do, the sensation of her hair against her back foreign after having worn it up for so long. She looked over her reflection one last time.

Even she could admit that she looked beautiful, but it wasn’t the same. Normally she’d be taking selfies right now, admiring her own appearance as if she were a work of art about to be shown in a gallery. Then she’d revel in the attention she’d receive after posting the photos to Jinstagram and Jumblr, and bask in the warmth of Lorelei’s “look how hot my girlfriend is” re-posts.

Luna would be lying if she said she didn’t miss the attention. She’d also be lying if she said she didn’t think her beauty was somehow tarnished now, like a chipped teacup. Still pleasing to the eye, but defective. There were better options out there. Why pick her?

By the time she’d dragged herself out of the house it was already well past noon, and she worried she’d be late as she ventured through Cindersnap Forest. By some miracle it had stopped raining after pouring for days, and it was the definition of a perfect spring day. The birds sang, and the sweet smell of grass and wisteria drifted lazily along the air with the bees. She let out a sigh of relief as she approached the meadow where the festival was being held; at least she hadn’t been the last one to arrive.

“Luna!”

Emily made a beeline for her, her dress flapping like wings as she ran. Before Luna knew what was happening, she found herself laughing as Emily took her hand and twirled her like a ballerina.

“Aww, you look beautiful!” She stood back to admire her handiwork, grinning at the sight of Luna’s choice of footwear, “the boots really pull the whole look together. You look like you should be posing for the cover of Rolling Stone.”

Luna couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face, “thank you. You look great too. That dress fits you perfectly.”

Emily gave a twirl, the glittering fabric of her dress fanning out and sparkling in the sunlight, “ah, this old thing? Thanks. It’s actually the same dress I work last year, just with some extra embroidery. I was so busy making dresses for everyone else I didn’t have time to make something new for myself.”

“Well, I wouldn’t have guessed without you telling me so.”

Emily grabbed Luna’s hand and led her towards the festively decorated meadow, “come on, let’s grab something to eat.”

They approached a small picnic area with a generous spread of goodies fit for a fancy tea party; strawberry shortcake, cucumber sandwiches, little cookies shaped like hearts, cocktail weenies, fruit punch, and wine, among others. Luna’s stomach grumbled. She’d been in such a rush that morning to get the farm under control and get ready for the festival that she hadn’t eaten anything yet.

Luna loaded up a plate with enough food for three people and a glass filled to the brim with wine. She was super careful to not spill anything and ruin the dress Emily had worked so hard on as they found a place to sit down in the soft Spring grass.

Luna took a gigantic bite of shortcake, whipped cream and strawberry syrup coating her tongue in sugary sweetness. It was heavenly. She ate it in three bites.

“I’ll be sure to pass it along to Jodi that you liked the strawberry shortcake,” Emily laughed as Luna licked a stray glob of whipped cream from her lips. She tried to be more lady-like as she sipped her wine.

She and Emily ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, watching as more of the townsfolk made their arrival. Luna looked everyone over carefully. All the younger women in town were wearing variations of white floral dresses, whereas all the younger men were wearing much less flattering blue suits. It struck Luna that she had no idea what the Flower Dance even was.

Luna turned to Emily, who was tearing into her cucumber sandwich with as much ferocity as she had devoured her shortcake, “hey, so what exactly is the ‘Flower Dance’ anyway?”

“Oh gosh, that’s right. You’re still new here,” Emily said after inhaling what was left of her sandwich. She brushed the crumbs off her hands, “so the Flower Dance is loosely based around that one story from The Book of Yoba. You know, the one where he comes down to Earth after he creates it and chooses the most beautiful flower to be his bride? Then they get married and populate the Earth and that’s how humans came to be?”

Luna looked at her blankly, “what?”

“You’ve never read the book of Yoba?” Emily cocked her head.

“Not since I was a kid. And even then, it was just the junior version,” the last time Luna had stepped foot in a Church was before her father died. He had been the religious one, and her mom didn’t bother keeping up with Sunday services after he passed. Yoba and his religion were nothing more than a vague concept to her.

“Huh,” Emily sounded thoughtful, as if she hadn’t considered the possibility. She shrugged, “well anyway, it’s sort of based around that. All the eligible girls in town are supposed to wear white dresses to symbolize Yoba’s bride and hope that they get asked to dance by one of the single guys; they’re wearing those ugly blue monstrosities,” she shuddered as Harvey passed by them in all his suited-up glory, “ugh. I’ve been begging Lewis to let me redesign those things for years.”

Luna rolled Emily’s explanation around in her head, trying to make sense of it. As if reading her mind, Emily continued, “if you get asked to dance, you have to dance to Yoba’s Wedding Ballad with your partner at the end of the festival. And then you get married.”

Luna’s eyes practically shot out of her skull, “what?”

Emily laughed, and Luna’s heartbeat slowed back down, “I’m kidding. After the dance, one couple gets crowned the King and Queen of the Flower Dance and they get flower crowns made by yours truly,” she rolled her eyes, “the whole thing is pretty silly, but it’s tradition. Lewis says they’ve been doing it since he was a kid.”

“Oh,” was all Luna could manage. The shortcake sat in her stomach like a rock. Had she of known that’s what the festival was about, she definitely would have stayed home.

As if reading her mind for the second time that day, Emily placed a hand on her shoulder, “don’t worry too much about it. No one takes it seriously. I think my sister is the only one who actually enjoys this festival; all the other singles just do it out of obligation. Lewis is super strict about everyone who’s young and unmarried participating.”

Luna smiled weakly. Hopefully her showing up in a white dress would be participation enough; she knew for a fact that no one would be asking her to dance.

“Do you think Lewis would say yes if I asked him?” She joked, trying to make light of things.

The look on Emily’s face was priceless. She snorted, “oh, Yoba, now that would be a sight. But he’s the host so I don’t even think he’s allowed to participate in the dance,” a sudden look of realization took over her face. She gave Luna a stern look, “whatever you do, don’t ask Lewis any questions about the history of the festival. He’ll trap you into a history lesson that’ll last until tomorrow morning.”

“Duly noted.”

The two of them finished their plates and stood up. It looked as if everyone had finally arrived. Luna gave Emily a bashful look, “so… I don’t suppose you have a partner for the dance?”

“You’re a little late. Clint already asked me,” Emily winked, “but maybe next year if I’m still single.”

Luna giggled. It had been worth a try.

Emily headed back to the picnic area for seconds and Luna decided that she needed to force herself to mingle or else she’d just look as pathetic and lonely as she felt. She refilled her wine glass and drifted from group to group like a bee harvesting pollen, stopping for a few minutes to greet everyone before zipping off to the next group.

As the party progressed and Luna sipped on her third glass of wine, she began to feel more and more guilty with each person she talked to. Leah invited her to paint by the river together the following weekend, she and Elliot discussed possible illustrations for the cover of his next novel, Pierre was ecstatic about her purchasing the Scare Crow he’d had made specially for the festival. Everyone she spoke to sounded so genuinely happy to see her there. They were all trying so hard to make her feel included, like she belonged in their exclusive club that they’d all been members of for years.

But despite their efforts Luna still felt like an outsider, and she felt awful about it. As the sun began to descend from the sky and hide behind the hills, the knots in her stomach tightened. It was so stupid. Had it of been even just a few months ago, Luna wouldn’t have cared at all about something as trivial as having a partner for the Flower Dance.

But it was more than that.

Luna was letting Pam talk her ear off about how much she loved the free booze when she spotted Robin and Demetrius mingling with the other married folk. She quietly excused herself and jogged over, feeling a bit dizzy from the wine. Robin had essentially stopped her from falling over when she pulled her into a hug.

“Luna, look at how gorgeous you are,” Robin said, holding Luna out by her shoulders to look at her, “I bet you’ve been shooting boys down left and right all day.”

Luna tried her hardest not to grimace at what Robin meant as a compliment. She laughed awkwardly, “ah, no. I don’t think I’ll be dancing this time around. The party’s been fun, though.”

Robin looked genuinely surprised, “really? Huh,” one side of her mouth quirked up, “I bet it’s because they’re all too intimidated to ask you.”

Luna could feel her cheeks burning, unsure of if it was because of Robin’s compliment or the two glasses of wine she’d downed. She let out another awkward laugh in response.

“So,” Robin stretched the word out, “how’ve you been? You haven’t been up to see me in a few days.”

Luna felt guilty all over again. After her run in with Sebastian at the beach, she hadn’t wanted to chance a repeat encounter. She shrugged, “yeah, I’m sorry about that. I’ve been super busy on the farm… it’s, uh, the end of the season, you know. I want to make sure I get my investment back on all my hard work.”

“Is Sebastian keeping you away?” She playfully raised an eyebrow, “because if you want to come visit, I have no problem chasing him back down to the basement with a broom if he’s giving you trouble.”

The burning in Luna’s cheeks spread up and out through her ears. If she were a cartoon, there’d be steam blowing out of them. Robin let out a hearty laugh and clapped her shoulder.

“I’m only kidding. But seriously, don’t feel bad. I understand that you’re busy, especially with Summer just around the corner. I was just wondering if I’m still installing the upgrade to your barn this week.”

Shit, that’s right. Luna was supposed to meet up with Robin and finalize everything for the Deluxe Barn. Her last check from Joja and her earnings from the Spring harvest had been more than enough to cover the upgrade, she just had to gather materials and sign off on the agreement. She’d been so preoccupied with avoiding Sebastian she hadn’t shown up.

“Oh, Yoba, Robin, I’m so sorry. I totally forgot about that,” she felt awful for more than just lying, “yeah, yeah, we’ll go ahead with the upgrade. I can come over tomorrow to sign the paperwork.”

“Eh, don’t worry about it. That’s just a formality anyway,” she held out her hand, “let’s just shake on it and you’ll pay me when I come over to start working. Deal?”

“Deal,” Luna sighed with relief and shook her hand.

“Alright, well you enjoy the rest of the party. Don’t let me hold you up,” she smiled and waved Luna off before turning back to her previous conversation.

Drunk and dismissed, Luna turned to find a corner to hide out in when she made eye contact with Sam, who was standing behind the picnic area with Abigail and Sebastian. Before she could make a run for it, Sam charged at her like a golden retriever fetching a tennis ball.

“Luna!” He exclaimed, pulling her into a way too tight hug that knocked the wind out of her. He threw an arm around her shoulder and dragged her towards his friends. He smelled like wine and cologne that probably belonged to his dad. At least she wasn’t the only one who’d overdone it on the alcohol.

“Look at Luna’s dress,” Sam announced as he led her towards Sebastian and Abigail, “Emily did a really good job on it!”

“Hi,” Luna waved at them awkwardly, making a point out of only looking at Abigail. Her dress was similar to Luna’s, though the neckline wasn’t as deep, and the detailing not nearly as feminine. She grinned at her choice of footwear. They’d both opted for combat boots.

“Nice shoes,” Abigail laughed, pointing at Luna’s matching boots. Luna felt slightly more at ease as she laughed along.

“So, how are you faring so far? Anyone asked you to dance yet?” Sam questioned, waggling his eyebrows at her.

“Fine, I guess. The wine Gus brought is good,” she punctuated the sentiment with a sip, “and no, I think I’ll be sitting this one out. Unless you don’t have a partner…?”

Sam’s face shuffled through five different expressions at her question; shock, confusion, disbelief, embarrassment, acceptance. Abigail snorted, and even Sebastian laughed through his nose.

Sam’s face finally settled on what looked like remorse, “you should have found me earlier! I already asked Penny to dance.”

Luna had only been joking of course, but she couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed. She shrugged and took a sip of wine, “it’s okay. I figured as much.”

“Luna is out of your league anyway, Sam,” Abigail said, jabbing him in the ribs.

“Rude!” Sam shout back, feigning offense, “I’m out of all of your leagues. I’m major league, all of you are still in the minors.”

The group collectively sighed at Sam’s lame joke as he beamed with pride. Even in the goofy blue suit, Sam wasn’t a bad looking guy. He kind of reminded Luna of a young Billy Idol, just softer around the edges. She wasn’t surprised he already had a dance partner.

“You know,” Sam started, his smile turning impish, “I know someone who doesn’t have a dance partner.”

“Who?” Luna raised an eyebrow and took another sip. The glass was nearly empty.

“Edge-Mc-Lord over there,” he pointed a thumb at Sebastian.

Though she’d been trying her best to ignore his existence, Luna instinctively looked his way at the mention of him. He’d shed his usual black-on-black garb for the blue uniform the rest of the bachelors donned, but his face was the same as ever. Pissed off at everyone’s existence, including his own. Apparently the grass was particularly aggravating today, as that’s where his eyes were focused.

Both Sam and Abigail were giving him expectant looks. Luna wanted to chug what was left or her wine and run. Evidently, they weren’t in on the joke that was their sorry excuse for acquaintanceship. That or they were fully aware of it and were running some cruel social experiment.

Sebastian kicked at the ground, Sam let out a dramatic sigh, and Abigail rolled her eyes. Luna stared at her reflection, red and distorted in her wine glass.

“Come on, Sam,” Abigail started towards the picnic table, trying to be discreet, “let’s get ourselves something to drink.”

Sam’s eyebrows knitted before shooting up, catching on to Abigail’s plan the exact moment that Luna did. She opened her mouth to speak, to stop them from leaving her alone with _him_ , but Sam cut her off.

“Be right back!” he said way too enthusiastically, zipping after Abigail.

Then they were alone together. She and Sebastian.

Luna drowned the lump forming in her throat by throwing back the rest of her wine, coughing as the last few drops went down the wrong pipe. She swayed a bit. She couldn’t tell if her body felt as if it were filled with cotton and her skin light as cloth because she was anxious or because she was drunk. Maybe it was both. Either way, she was not excited to be left alone with Sebastian. It felt as if they were being exposed to each other like two cats being trained to occupy the same space without tearing the other apart.

Sebastian huffed, the hair that fell in his face flying upwards and away with his breath. He leaned up against the tree behind him as if he were trying to phase into it. He looked miserable.

Luna was half tempted to walk away. He didn’t deserve her attention after what happened at the beach. But there was still that small, desperate part of her that didn’t even want him to like her, but at least tolerate her existence. More than running away, she wanted to shake him and demand ‘why.’ She bit the rim of her glass, her teeth making awful clanking noises that reverberated through her skull. She felt sad and angry and heavy and weightless all at the same time. She should have just stayed home.

She felt his eyes on her before she saw them. His stare burned like dry ice into her skin. When she chanced meeting his gaze, their eyes met for what seemed like only a millisecond before his suddenly found the grass more interesting than her again.

So he did know that she existed.

The wine serving as liquid courage, Luna took one step towards him, then another. She was barely ten inches away from him when he finally noticed her advancing, cornering him against the tree. He had no where to look besides her or the ground, exactly as her alcohol induced stupor had intended it.

“Dance with me,” Luna said, yet another peace offering. It came out as more of a demand than an offer, but by this point that was exactly what it was. She wasn’t doing this anymore.

Sebastian’s eyes remained transfixed on the ground, but Luna kept her gaze steady on his face. She was standing so close to him that she could smell him; amber and bergamot and a scent that was unquestionably boy. She could only hope that her stare burned as intensely into him as his into her.

Luna exhaled sharply when he finally looked at her, really looked at her. She’d been so focused on cornering him she hadn’t planned what do if he finally broke their standoff. She found herself taking a step back, as if afraid his stare could actually burn her. He wasn’t even making eye contact with her. He just looked straight through her as if she were glass.

“No,” he said simply, taking a step forward from his place against the tree, “there’s someone else I want to dance with.”

He said it as if it didn’t mean anything, and Luna knew that it didn’t, but her heart still went crashing into her stomach as he walked away. All he’d done was say no to dancing with someone who was practically a stranger, but to Luna it meant much more than that.

It meant that she was exactly what she feared: nothing.

The alcohol had settled in Luna’s head like a thick fog, and she didn’t think to cut and run when Lewis announced that it was finally time for the Flower Dance. The heaviness in her limbs overcame her as the boys donning ugly blue suits and girls draped in white took the center of the meadow. She was frozen in place as the music started and they began their dance.

They all came in pairs, one blue to one white. Though some were unenthusiastic, they all had their place and fit together like puzzle pieces. Even those in plain clothes standing on the fringes of tradition had their place. They belonged. They framed the perfect picture being painted before them, hung upon a wall papered with Spring-time floral.

She was the only girl in a white dress that watched from afar, the only single without a match. But as with her earlier encounter with Sebastian, it was about so much more than that.

Luna was made painfully aware that she was the piece of a different puzzle that had found its way into the wrong box.

She wasn’t sure if it was the realization, the alcohol, or watching Sebastian twirl Abigail as if she were made of porcelain that broke her. She was reminded of how she was in fact, the chipped teacup. Why pick her when you could have a brand new one instead?

As the dance concluded, Luna slipped away into the Cindersnap Forest and ran all the way home, refusing to cry until she knew that she was physically alone. The metaphysical loneliness was sure to follow.

It was the one thing she couldn’t run from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALS ARE OFFICIALLY OVER!!! I'm taking a Summer class but I'm going to have waaaay more free time on my hands. Woo-hoo!  
> I hope that this longer chapter was worth the wait. I was nervous to write it as I hadn't quite figured out how to get from Point A to Point B, but I'm actually really happy with how it turned out! We're making progress, people. I'm really excited to write the next chapter...it's gonna be a good one.  
> As always, thank you so much to everyone who has read, commented, and left kudos. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story as much as I am <3


	7. Rescue

To: [lunaheartsigh@jmail.com](mailto:lunaheartsigh@jmail.com)

From: [loreleilives@jmail.com](mailto:loreleilives@jmail.com)

Subject: fuck you

You know what, I’m done. I’ve tried again and again to reach you and gotten jack shit out of it. You’ve made it obvious that I never meant a damn thing to you. If I did, you would have reached out by now.

Fuck you.

I can do so much better than you anyway. Thanks to _Thrills_ I’ve had plenty of people begging for my attention, but I kept brushing them off because I thought I had you. You had me wrapped around your little finger, but not anymore.

I hope you feel guilty for treating me like shit. I know my worth now. You’ll never find anyone else like me no matter how hard you try. There’s so many better options out there for me to pick from.

You’re a whore anyway. I hope the next person you date treats you like one. Get fucked.

-Lorelei

* * *

 

Luna dropped another quartz crystal into her bag, wiping the sweat off her brow before continuing deeper down the stone corridor. It was getting late. Even though the mines were pitch black save for her glow ring, Luna knew she’d been down there for hours.

She’d woken up in a panic that morning. The night terrors had refused to release their claws from her without a fight, and she’d struggled to detach them. She’d rushed through her daily chores before fleeing to the mines to hide out for the day.

Going to the Flower Dance had been a mistake. Checking her email had been a mistake. She was beginning to think that her entire existence had been a mistake.

Spending the day smashing boulders and fighting off slimes had been cathartic, but it never felt like enough. No matter how many levels she descended the need to dive deeper was never satisfied. The motor inside her revved indefinitely, forcing her to keep moving.

 _Keep running._ _The deeper you go, the harder it will be to find you._

Even though her arms felt like jelly and her feet were beginning to blister, Luna decimated boulders as if her strength knew no bounds. In her head they represented everything that was wrong in her life; her displacement, Lorelei, the Flower Dance, even Sebastian. They exploded into smithereens with every blow of her pickaxe, rewarding her with sparkling gems and ore when the dust cleared.

She piled the last of the gold ore into her rucksack, her back protesting as she slung the bag back over her shoulders. It was getting too heavy. If she tried squeezing anything else into it, there was no way she’d make it back up to the surface, let alone the farm.  

Despite the weight of her bag, Luna felt better, lighter even. She had shrugged her troubles off like a too heavy coat, leaving them deep in the mines to rot. It made her ascent so much easier.

It wasn’t until Luna stepped into the chilly evening air that she realized just how exhausted she was, adrenaline having run dry hours ago. She was tired, sore, and so hungry that the thought of eating made her nauseous. The bottoms of her feet stung with every step, newly formed blisters sure to leave callused skin. It hurt just to flex her fingers.

Luna tried her best to ignore the pain that shot up her legs with every step, focusing instead on the prospect of a hot bath when she got home. Yoba, the walk home was going to destroy her. Even worse, it was going to take longer as it looked as if it rained while she was busy traversing the mines. She’d have to dodge puddles and avoid slipping in the mud instead of speed-walking home like she normally would.

Curious as to exactly how much time had passed, she dug her phone out of her back pocket as she crossed the rickety bridge that joined the mines to the mountain path.

“Fuck,” she hissed.

11:44. She’d been in there for nearly twelve hours. What the fuck.

Luna was so preoccupied with cursing her lack of time management skills that she hadn’t noticed how wet the bridge was. She let out a shriek as she slipped on the rain-slicked wood, plummeting into the river with an unceremonious clap.

The water was freezing cold from the snow melt, ice pricking Luna’s skin like millions of tiny needles as she sunk. In her shock Luna gasped for air, instead filling her lungs with water. She choked and sputtered, flailing her arms with all her might, but it was no use. The loot in her rucksack may as well have been an anchor.

Luna began to panic as the edges of her vision went black. She fought harder, swinging her arms and legs wildly. She didn’t want to die. Despite the void in her stomach that threatened to swallow her from inside out, she hadn’t asked for this. She had been seeking solace, but not the ultimate kind. This couldn’t be it for her.

As if confirmation from Yoba himself that it wasn’t her time to join him just yet, Luna felt arms wrap around her waist, then hands below her armpits, and just as suddenly as she had sunk, she resurfaced.

Her back hit the ground with a thud, the moon and stars the first thing she saw when her eyes shot back open. She wretched forward, coughing hard and expelling water from her lungs in a shower that landed back on her face. Air. She needed air. She inhaled, exhaled, coughed, sputtered, repeated.

It wasn’t until she was finally able to breathe again that she noticed someone calling her name. She could hardly hear them over her own panting and the water that plugged her ears. When she finally located the source, she turned her head to face it and gasped.

Sebastian was on his knees beside her, repeating her name as if it were a desperate prayer.

 “Luna,” he breathed, his voice sounding slightly less panicked at her coming to, “Luna, are you okay?”

All Luna could manage was to stare up at him with her mouth agape. His breathing sounded just as labored as her own, and like her, he was soaking wet. He closed his eyes and sighed, running a shaking hand through his hair.

Luna tried to speak, but a wet cough tore up and out of her throat instead of words. Though she couldn’t speak just yet, she was alert enough to do mental gymnastics trying to figure out what the hell was going on. She remembered falling into the river and she definitely remembered drowning. She sure as hell didn’t remember Sebastian being there for any of it.

_Wait._

Luna shot up onto her elbows, narrowly missing Sebastian who fell backwards onto his own. She stared him down. He looked at her as if she were a wild animal, like he was afraid she’d spring forward and attack him.

“What are you doing here?” she croaked, voice hoarse.

“Saving your ass,” Sebastian scoffed. He pushed his hair out of his face and went to stand up, “you slipped off the bridge and fell into the river.”

So he had jumped in after her. Luna shook her head. She still couldn’t believe it.

Sebastian held a hand out to her, and she took it after a moment of hesitation. Part of her was still convinced that this wasn’t real, and that her hand would go straight through his. It didn’t. He lifted her to up on to her feet and her entire body seemed to spasm, nearly sending her back into the river. Sebastian wrapped an arm around her waist and yanked her towards him.

“No way, I’m not jumping in after you again,” he stammered.

Luna couldn’t even look at him, staring down at her boots instead. The evening breeze caressed her face and she shivered against him. The only thing she knew for certain to be real was that she was cold and exhausted.

“You saved me,” Luna murmured, still dumbfounded.

“Can you walk?” Sebastian asked, ignoring her statement. He took a few steps forward. Luna could barely manage to limp alongside him.

“Yes,” Luna said, contradicting herself.

“Shit,” he sighed, “there’s no way you’re going to be able to make it back to the farm tonight.”

Luna opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself. He was right. If she didn’t end up in the river again she’d probably fall right off the mountain face trying to make it home.

“Harvey’s?” she suggested.

“No, it’s after midnight. The clinic’s already closed,” he paused, “my house. We’ll go back to my house. Come on.”

At this point, Luna didn’t have the energy to argue. She’d take up this bizarre turn of events with the universe at a later date. She reluctantly let Sebastian take the lead.

With Luna’s current state, the short walk from the mines to Sebastian’s house took twice as long as it normally did. But with every step she took, the gears in Luna’s head finally began to move again, her thoughts unsticking along with her words.

 “What were you even doing out here this late?” Luna asked as they approached the front door. She leaned herself against the wall as Sebastian dug through his pockets for his keys.

“I decided to have one last cigarette before bed and went outside just in time to watch you swan dive off the bridge,” he opened the door, gesturing for her to be quiet as he stepped inside. She hobbled in behind him, and he locked the door, “what were _you_ doing up at the mines so late?”

Of course he’d thrown the question back at her like they were playing a game of catch. She narrowed her eyes at him. He was looking at her as if he already knew the answer.

“Mining,” she shrugged.

“Huh. Sure.”

Luna glared at him. She genuinely didn’t understand his MO. Sebastian was like an algebra equation she couldn’t solve despite having memorized his supposed formula.

“What?” he scoffed, voice hushed.

Luna chewed the inside of her mouth. Even though he was looking in her general direction, he still wasn’t looking at _her_. Nothing had changed.

“I just can’t believe that you saved me,” she whispered.

Sebastian’s face softened as her words sank in. He almost looked hurt.

“Did you really think I’d just let you drown?” He asked so softly she almost didn’t hear him.

Luna’s stomach sunk. She hadn’t realized just how awful that sounded until it was too late to take it back.  

“You need a shower,” Sebastian said before she could even think to apologize.

“I-I didn’t bring any clothes-“ she stammered.

 “No shit,” he cut her off with just a hint of a smile, “Hold on, I’m sure we have something that’ll fit you.”

Sebastian disappeared down the hallway, turning the light on as he did so. Luna stared at the wall and contemplated her poor choice of words until he poked his head through the doorway and gestured for her to follow him.

“Bathrooms this way,” he said, leading her to the last door at the end of the hall. He turned to face her, handing off a small bundle of clothes, “just give me your dirty stuff once you’re showered and I’ll throw it into the wash. You remember where my room is?” He paused, “wait, do you think you can go downstairs?”

His room? Why his room? Luna stared at him blankly, “I can’t sleep up here?”

“Unless I start waking people up, no. The only couch is in my room. Mom converted the living room into her workshop.”

Luna blinked, “oh. Yeah, right.”

The air was thick with trepidation. Sensing her discomfort, Sebastian cleared his throat, “I mean, I can wake up Maru, and you could-“

“No, no, it’s fine,” Luna raised a hand to stop him. He’d already done so much. Too much. She fumbled for the light switch, “so just meet you down in your room?”

“Yeah. Here, let me take your backpack.”

Luna passed her rucksack off to him, and his eyes went wide as he nearly dropped it. For the hundredth time that night, he looked at her as if she were crazy, “Yoba, what the hell do you have in here? Rocks?”

“Yes,” Luna replied dryly, closing the door behind her and locking it.

Once she was finally alone, she let out a breath that she’d been holding for far too long.

What a day. _What a night_.

Luna physically cringed when she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror above the sink. She looked like a drowned rat. Her ponytail was tangled, her bangs matted against her forehead, and not only was she soaking wet, but her clothes were smeared with dirt and stray leaves. She looked as if she’d gone feral.

Skinny jeans were hardly appropriate for farm work let alone the mines, and she severely regretted her decision to wear them as she peeled the wet denim down her legs. She winced at the sight of her legs, battered and bruised after spending the day spelunking the mines. She made the discovery that her arms weren’t any better after tugging off her flannel.

Luna stepped into the shower and turned the tap on far too hot, the water scalding her as it sprayed her skin. Yoba, a _shower_. It felt like such a luxury after being confined to baths for such a long time; she hadn’t realized just how much she had missed it until now. She made a mental note to ask Robin about installing one back at home the next time she saw her.

She grabbed a bar of soap and scrubbed as hard as she could, as if it were possible to wash the last few days away along with the dirt and grime. She washed and conditioned the tangled mess of her hair, then repeated the whole cleaning process over again. She scrubbed until the water that swirled down the drain seemed to run clearer than what ran from the tap after washing over her.

She didn’t bother to wipe the steam from the mirror when she stepped out of the shower, having gotten a good enough look at herself already. Sebastian hadn’t given her a towel, so she used what was already there, wincing as her sore muscles protested at the movement of drying herself.

Once she was dry, she unfolded the clothing that Sebastian had given her; fleece pajama bottoms with galaxy print and an old band t-shirt. She assumed that the pajama bottoms were probably Maru’s, and that at least made her feel a little less weird about having no clean underwear to change into. She snorted at the sight of the shirt. It was one of those 2010 era band shirts that were far too colorful and had nothing to do with the music they advertised. This one featured an axe-wielding purple slime monster and said ‘Blessthefall’ in dripping gold font. This had to be Sebastian’s.

Luna tried her best to leave the bathroom in a state that held no evidence of her ever having been there, before gathering her wet clothes and heading for Sebastian’s room. She knocked on the door gently, and when Sebastian stepped out to take her clothes from her, she stayed put. Without his explicit permission, she would have felt like a trespasser.

Sebastian reappeared from the laundry room and gestured for her to follow him inside, and she reluctantly followed. He closed the door softly behind them and stepped ahead of her towards the couch.

Luna could feel a lump forming in her throat, words stuck on their way out. She had no idea what to say to him.

Sebastian ignored her, draping a blanket over the coach and fluffing up a pillow on one end. Had it of been anyone else, she would have cracked a joke about owning a few ugly band T-shirts in high school herself. Instead She watched in silence.

As if feeling her eyes on him, he pointed his chin at the opposite corner of the room, “you get the bed.”

Luna couldn’t help looking at him as if he were insane. She shook her head, sputtering, “No way! I’m not kicking you out of your own bed.”

Purposely defying her, he crossed his arms and flopped back on to the couch.

Luna let out a sigh of defeat before heading towards the bed. Under normal circumstances, if they could even exist within this chain of events, she would have fought him on who was sleeping where. Tonight, she just didn’t have the energy.

As Luna slipped between the unfamiliar sheets, she was painfully aware of the awkward silence that hung in the air. She was also painfully aware of how much his pillows smelled like him as she laid her head down into them.

After she’d been settled for a few minutes, she heard the floorboards creak as Sebastian crossed the room to turn off the light. Without so much as a goodnight, they were alone in the darkness, silent except for their breathing.

Sebastian’s bed was so soft and so comfortable compared to her own, and she hated it. She hated how easily she sunk into the down comforter as her eyes drifted close. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to ask, that her mind should have been racing and her lips moving as fast as they could to keep up.

Instead she drew a blank.

* * *

 

Luna awoke with a start the next morning.

Not the same kind she’d woken with the previous morning, but the kind of start she remembered from waking up knowing she was late for school. Only she wasn’t late for school. She’d woken up in a stranger’s room, in a stranger’s bed, wearing a stranger’s clothes.

It took Luna a minute to remember where she was, but when the memories resurfaced she was able to drop the tension in her shoulders and breathe. It had been the poster above the bed that’d given it away. The Crow. She’d somehow woken up to a staring contest with Brandon Lee.

Sebastian’s room. She was in Sebastian’s room.

The sound of fingers on a keyboard caught her attention, and she looked over her shoulder to see Sebastian stationed behind his computer.

“You’re awake,” he said, not looking away from the screen as he spoke.

“I’m awake,” Luna affirmed. She ran her fingers through her hair, wincing as she pulled out a knot. She hadn’t slept that well in months.

Luna stood up and stretched. Her joints released a satisfying pop as she lifted her arms above her head and wiggled her fingers, before reaching down to touch her toes. She was sore, yes, but she was relieved to discover that the dull ache wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Aside from nearly drowning, she was fine.

That’s right. She’d almost drowned.

And Sebastian had saved her.

Though she’d been standing there staring at him for at least a minute, Sebastian hadn’t budged or even turned to look at her. Luna was sure that if she just grabbed her rucksack and went to leave, he wouldn’t stop her. It’d be like the whole thing had never happened. They’d go back to their standoff positions, waiting for the other to draw their gone and shoot.

But after last night, Luna wasn’t about to let that happen. If she’d been done with this at the Flower Dance, she was well done with it now. She didn’t care if he liked her, nor did she want to be his friend, but she was done with being treated like a ghost that couldn’t escape the corner of his eye.

Luna stepped towards his desk, pointedly cornering him against the wall. He visibly stiffened in her presence, and Luna couldn’t stop the triumph that puffed up in her chest. She pressed her fists into her hips stared him down.

“Can I help you?” he finally spoke, his typing slowing to a halt.

Oh, yes, he could help her. He could help her by explaining why he refused to look her in the eye unless it were a life or death situation, by justifying his only speaking to her in sentences with just enough words to count on one hand, by confessing why he acted as if she were nothing. Instead, she started simply.

“Why do you hate me?”

The words hung in the air like bubbles that just wouldn’t pop. It was quiet enough that Luna could hear both their hearts beating too loudly.

Sebastian closed his eyes and let out a long sigh, “look… I don’t hate you,” he started, “it’s just…”

Luna looked at him expectantly. She wasn’t at all prepared when he looked right back at her.

She had to stifle a gasp when Sebastian finally, really, truly looked at her. His eyes found hers as if they were Xs on the map of her face. His gaze shook her right to her core. His eyes were dark, yes, but she hadn’t noticed that they were like black mirrors, her reflection shining shades of purple and blue and green back at her.

 “I know who you are,” Sebastian said quietly, equally thrown off by the intimacy of eye contact, “I know who you are, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.”

The words hit her as if they were fists and she was a punching bag. They knocked the wind out of her. She inhaled sharply as soon as she remembered how to. She had to look away from him, down at the floor, anywhere but at him.

_I know who you are. I know who you are. I know who you are._

It turned out that the person Luna had thought to be the biggest stranger to her in this town was the person that knew her best.

“H-how much do you know?” Luna stuttered, her voice meek. She forced herself to look at him again. His gaze had fallen to his feet, “does anyone else know?”

“I don’t think so, at least no one else has mentioned it,” she noticed that his cheeks were turning pink, a stark contrast to his pale face. He sighed, “…look, this is really awkward… I follow your Jumblr and your Jinstagram accounts. I have for a while now.”

Now Luna could feel _her_ cheeks getting hot. ‘Awkward’ was an understatement. He hadn’t been able to look her in the eye because he’d seen her naked. He may have done more than just seen her naked. She didn’t want to think about it. Suddenly the horror set in.

“Did you watch Th-“

“No, no,” Sebastian cut her off, waving his hands frantically, “Yoba, no. But I have…”

“Seen me naked?” Luna finished the sentence for him.

“Yeah,” he admitted, sounding almost guilty about it. He looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole just as much as she did. His leg was doing that thing where it bounced up and down, something seemingly all guys did when they were nervous.

Luna was at a loss for words. Back when she lived in Zuzu City, the only people she really kept her being a nude model from were her coworkers at Joja Corp. Even her mom knew about it and supported her. The photos weren’t outright pornographic, and it’d been a creative outlet for her along with her painting. It was something she’d enjoyed doing and wasn’t ashamed to admit to, and the fact that she’d monetized it was the cherry on top. People could send her sets of lingerie to pose in and pay for private photos. She’d made a business out of herself and loved every moment of it.

At least until Thrills happened. Then it became something she had to leave behind when she moved, too heavy to pack up and take with her.

Sebastian knowing who she was had scared her at first, but as her heart rate slowed back down and the drumming in her ears quieted, she could feel an enormous weight being lifted from her shoulders.

He knew.

No wonder he’d treated her the way that he did, why he couldn’t make eye contact or hold a conversation. She’d gotten more answers than she could have ever hoped for from asking just one simple question. It didn’t excuse his actions, but at least now she had context.

The silence was becoming too much for the two much for Luna, and just Sebastian opened his mouth to say something, she blurted out, “what do you think of my nipple piercings?”

Sebastian shook his head as if he hadn’t heard her right, “what?”

“My nipple piercings. Thoughts?”

And then he laughed, really laughed, for the first time that she could remember since she’d known him. Luna couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face.

They’d reached a truce.

“Uh, they’re cool, I guess,” he finally managed, unable to make eye contact with her for an entirely different reason than before. There was a pause before he finally looked at her again, really looked at her, as if he were seeing her in person for the first time, “listen… I’m sorry for coming across the way that I did. Abby gave me so much shit for the way I treated you at the Flower Dance. I just…”

“It’s okay,” Luna stopped him, not wanting him to over explain himself. Instead, she offered him her hand, “Let’s start over. Hi, I’m Luna. I just took over my grandad’s farm. You’re Sebastian, right?”

Sebastian hesitated, but took her hand. Luna felt a bolt of astatic electricity shoot up her arm. Literally. They jumped back from one other, managing to hold a few moments of silent before they were both laughing.

“That was an omen. We need to stay as far away from each other as possible,” Sebastian chuckled.

Luna shrugged, “that or you just unknowingly made a deal with a demon,” she winked at him, feeling more like herself than she had in weeks, “thanks. You’ll need to deliver a liter of virgin’s blood to me by midnight, or else I’ll have to kill you.”

“Easy. I’ll call Sam.”

Luna gagged, “yikes.”

There was a knock at the door, and before either of them could say anything Robin popped her head in, “Good morning!”

Luna could immediately feel her cheeks getting hot again. Fuck. She didn’t even want to think about what this looked like to Robin.

But as it turned out, she’d really had nothing to worry about. Robin offered her a warm smile, “hey, Luna. How’re you feeling? Seb filled me in earlier this morning. You’re lucky someone had been outside when you fell in, you probably wouldn’t have made it otherwise.”

Luna let out a sigh of relief, “I’m okay. Just a little sore. Wait,” her eyes went wide, “what time is it?”

“10:35.”

“Shit,” she muttered, scanning the room for her clothes and rucksack. They were sitting on the arm of the couch, and she rushed for them, “I need to get home and feed Pancake and harvest the-“

 “I called Marnie this morning,” Robin assured her, “I explained what happened and she and Shane went over this morning to get things sorted out for you.”

Luna’s heart swelled. The kindness of Pelican Town’s citizens never ceased to amaze her, “oh,” she stammered, “okay.”

“I’m about to load up the truck and head over to your place. Gonna get started on the barn today. You want to ride with me?”

“I, uh, yes, thank you!” she grinned as she gathered up her things. She turned to face Sebastian, who’d gotten sucked back into whatever it was that he’d been working on.

He waved at her, “see you later. Just leave the clothes you borrowed in the bathroom.”

Luna’s mouth fell open, but no words came out. There was so much that she wanted to say to him, but not enough time with Robin waiting on her.

“Thank you, Sebastian.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took 4 hours to edit oh my gooooood. What a pain. But a lot happened! We finally got a bit of a reveal as so what Luna's running from ;)  
> Fun fact, I actually own the Blessthefall shirt Seb loans to Luna when she sleeps over. I wore the hell out of it back in high school.  
> This chapter took a lot out of me so there's a chance that the next one will be out a little later than Thursday. It all depends on how long it takes me to recover, lmao.  
> Thanks for reading <3


	8. Cool

Luna giggled at the sensation of grass tickling her toes as she padded through the farm barefoot. The birds sang their familiar song and she tried her best to whistle along, licking her lips and pushing air between them only to blow raspberries. She closed her eyes and threw her head back as she walked, letting the sun kiss her face with newly formed freckles.

In her five years upon Yoba’s green Earth, she’d never experienced a Summer like this. It looked and felt just like the books mommy read to her at home, with skies bluer than she’d ever seen and clouds that looked like dandelion fluff. The air smelled like honey and dirt and grass and all the things she wasn’t allowed to dig her tiny hands into at home. It was as if she’d been transported to another world where everything was wonderful all the time. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes for too long she’d open them only to discover that it’d all been a dream.

Luna followed a butterfly into the sunflower fields, its wings as yellow and beautiful as the petals it flew past. The grass gave way to dirt and flower stalks, the soles of her feet crunching rocks with every step. It hurt a little bit, but not enough to stop her. She had to catch that butterfly for mommy. Yellow was her favorite color and her birthday was tomorrow.

The butterfly had somehow caught wind of Luna’s plan, and fluttered off and away towards the sky. Luna huffed and balled her tiny fists. Now what would she give mommy for her birthday?

Tears pricking the corners of her eyes, Luna turned on her heel and started back towards the house. But she’d only made it to the edge of the sunflower field when something stabbed into the ball of her foot.

She wailed with as much force as her little lungs would allow, the tears spilling out and over her cheeks in hot, wet streaks. She hopped up and down on her good foot as she cried.

“Luna, darling, what happened?”

Grandaddy had moved so fast that she hadn’t even seen him get up from the porch. He crouched down on one knee as Luna incoherently babbled about the yellow butterfly and mommy’s birthday and how badly her foot hurt. It felt as if an earthquake were tearing through her, ending her world.

“Aw, it’s okay, baby girl. C’mere.”

Grandaddy scooped her up into his arms and Luna watched over his shoulder as the sunflowers got smaller and smaller as he walked towards the porch. She sniffled into his collar. Not only did she not have a birthday present for mommy, but her foot hurt so much that she was sure they’d have to cut it off.

“Alrighty,” Grandaddy cooed, gently placing Luna’s bottom down on the front porch step. He sat down beside her with a loud sigh, “now let me see your foot.”

Luna reluctantly lifted her foot into his lap. Would they give her a new foot after they took this one off? Maybe a peg leg?

Humming, grandaddy pushed his glasses up his nose before carefully inspecting her foot. After a few moments, his lips turned up into a smile, “ah, I think I found the problem. You’ve got a sticker.”

“A sticker?” Luna hiccupped, picturing one of the unicorn stickers she’d stuck onto her bedroom wall and gotten yelled at for. She’d stepped on one of those before and it hadn’t hurt at all.

“Mmm-Hmm,” he nodded, “now hold still.”

“Owww!” Luna whined as he yanked out the offending object. But the pain cleared just as soon as it had erupted. She flexed her foot as Granddaddy released it from his grasp. It was as if she’d never stepped on anything in the first place.

Granddaddy held the “sticker” out so she could see it. She narrowed her eyes at the tiny bulb of spikes.

“My daddy used to call these suckers bullheads,” he explained, carefully turning the tiny sticker in his fingers. He flicked it away. Luna watched as it sailed through the air before landing out in the field, never to be seen again unless someone else was unfortunate enough to step on it.

“They hurt something fierce if you step on ‘em with bare feet,” granddaddy pointed at hers, and she instinctively tucked them under the step, “that’s why you should always wear shoes out in the field, you hear?”

“Okay,” Luna sniffed.

They sat in silence for a moment, watching the Summer breeze rustle the grass. It almost looked like the waves of the Gem Sea, only greener.

Sighing, granddaddy draped and arm over Luna’s narrow shoulders. Though the sticker had been taken care of, she was still upset about the pretty butterfly with buttercup wings that’d gotten away from her. Mommy would have loved it.

“It’s okay, baby girl. You’re tough like me and your daddy. Your foot will be better in no time,” he paused, looking down at her. Luna stared up at her reflection in his thick rimmed glasses, “now what was that you were saying about a butterfly?”

“I wanted to catch it for mommy’s birthday,” Luna said in a wobbly voice, swiping her eyes with the back of her hand, “but it flew away.”

“Ah,” Granddaddy nodded, “them butterflies are slippery. Tell you what, how about you go on inside and put your shoes on, and we’ll pick your mama some sunflowers instead.”

Luna’s eyes went wide with excitement, “really?”

“Really,” he grinned down at her.

That was all the convincing she needed. She jumped to her feet and dashed into Granddaddy’s house.

All was right in the world.

* * *

 

Luna looked up at the sky and let out a loud groan. The sun had dipped behind the mountain at least an hour ago, and even with Daylight Saving Time she didn’t have much light left to finish her errands.

Today marked the last day of Spring, the season having dissolved faster than sugar into lemonade on a hot day. Had Luna of been blessed with her mother’s time management skills, she would have been ready for Summer to come knocking on her door, but the last few days of Spring had slipped through her fingers. Her near-death experience had only been a preview for how the next few days would go for her.

Act One: Luna arrived home the morning after the incident to find that while Marnie and her nephew had been kind enough to water her crops, she still had a multitude of tulips to carefully harvest and prune (thanks, Pierre), along with harvesting the last of the kale, cauliflower, and potatoes. What little time she had left that hadn’t been spent washing and packing produce had been allotted to helping Robin clear out debris for the barn upgrade. She’d crawled into bed that night almost as exhausted as she’d been after her extended mining adventure and surprise swimming lesson.

Act Two: Luna had been so preoccupied with the farm the day before that she hadn’t gotten the chance to sort through her rucksack until the following morning. That’s when she made the unfortunate discovery that not only was her pickaxe missing, but her phone hadn’t survived the river.

After watching her frantically till soil for her Summer crops before sprinting into town, the spirits thought that it’d be absolutely hilarious if she ran into Pierre on her way to purchase a new phone. Luna was so frazzled that she’d accidentally told him she was headed to Joja Mart, and the look on his face could only be compared to that of Luke Skywalker flipping his shit after finding out Darth Vader was his father. The spirits also thought it’d be prime comedy to make her deal with Morris, Joja Mart’s slimy manager. She’d purposely avoided him after he’d looked at her as if she were something to eat and he’d been starving for weeks. Of course, he oversaw all electronic sales, and of course her phone wouldn’t arrive until the following day, requiring a second visit.

And now we reach the closure of Act 3, in which Luna jogs towards Robin’s place after having picked up her new phone. She could finish setting it up and returning missed text messages and phone calls when she got home that night. There was something she needed to take care of.

The plan had been to make it out there no later than five but transporting crates of fresh produce and perfectly preened tulips to Pierre’s had taken longer than anticipated. On Luna’s second trip, Morris had waltzed into the general store like a peacock and offered everyone 50% off coupons to Joja Mart. They’d pounced at the offer like cats to mice, and all poor Pierre could do was watch in horror as his loyal customers flocked to his competitor for prices he could never compete with. Luna had stuck around afterwards to give Pierre a pep talk, but it quickly turned into an hour-long bitch fest on how awful Joja Corp was and why. It was already five o’clock when she’d felt content enough with verbally blasting her formal employer to leave.

Of course, Morris had been no better with setting up her new jPhone. Luna had tactfully worn her rattiest jeans and buttoned her flannel all the way up even though the collar went up so high it nearly choked her. Unfortunately, that hadn’t helped her. She was sure Morris had purposely put in the wrong pin when activating her phone just so he could ogle her and her ugly clothes even longer. It was just after seven when she finally escaped.

Luna unbuttoned her flannel and tied it around her waist, thankful she’d thrown on a hand cropped Dollyrots t-shirt underneath. At least she’d taken the time that morning to French braid her hair and applied plenty of deodorant, so she wouldn’t be a total eyesore when she got to Robin’s house.

Luna found solace in the promise of heading home after this last errand. She wanted to get to bed at a decent time that night so that she could wake up early enough to get everything planted before sundown. Though the first few months out on the farm had been challenging, she’d finally gotten the hang of gardening and felt little bursts of excitement whenever she saw seeds germinating or flowers blooming. There was a thrill in helping life move forward, even if it was just from watering her plants every morning.

Luna didn’t bother knocking when she arrived at Robin’s house, letting herself in as if she lived there, like always, “hi, Robin.”

Robin smiled and waved at her from behind her desk, “hey, lady. Sorry, but I’m just about to close up shop, so if you’re here for anything in that regard you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Luna half-smiled. She and Robin both knew that she was always happy to discuss her work and possible opportunities no matter the time and place, but that wasn’t what Luna was there for.

“That’s okay. Is Sebastian home?”

Robin got a funny look on her face at the mention of her son’s name, “you’re here to see Seb?”

“Yeah. Is he downstairs?”

Robin seemed almost excited at the prospect of Luna coming to visit him, but her face quickly turned apologetic, “Sorry, you just missed him. He left for the saloon about a half hour ago.”

Luna grimaced. Of course. Her bad timing seemed to be the running theme these last few days, “Oh, alright. Guess I’ll get going then.”

“Wait,” Robin stopped her just as she turned for the door. Luna glanced back over her shoulder to see Robin stepping out from behind the desk, “Demetrius and I were just about to head down that way. Wanna tag along?”

* * *

 

The walk from Robin’s to the Saloon took a little bit longer with Robin and Demetrius leading the way, but Luna didn’t care. The leisurely stroll and conversation had been refreshing after the hectic day she’d had.

It was mostly dark outside by the time they reached the Saloon. After saying their goodbyes and giving Emily a quick wave, Luna headed for the game room. She vaguely remembered seeing Sebastian hanging out in there with Abigail and Sam, and luckily her memory served correct. Sebastian was sprawled lazily across one side of the couch, looking more at ease then she’d ever seen him as he absently swiped at his phone screen, a bottle of beer sitting on the table beside him.

“Hey,” Luna said as she approached, careful not to startle him.

Sebastian looked up from his phone as if he’d been expecting someone, but his face changed as soon as he saw her, “Luna, hi,” he said awkwardly. His eyes darted from one spot on her face to another, like he wasn’t sure where he was supposed to be looking.

Luna suppressed a sigh. Not this again.

“Hey,” she echoed brightly, sitting in the arm chair against the opposite wall, “So… you do leave your room for other reasons besides smoking. I’m surprised.”

The tension in Sebastian’s shoulders eased ever so slightly. Luna smiled triumphantly.

“And you leave your farm for other reasons besides taking drowning lessons in the river,” he deadpanned, but the slightest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Luna’s ears perked up at his choice of words. Drowning Lessons. She repeated the familiar phrase in her head a few times before it was replaced by music that felt like an old friend. She couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin that spread across her face. She sang, albeit poorly, “without a sound, it took me down.”

Sebastian knitted his eyebrows, but he smirked when recognition hit him, “That was unintentional.”

“Once an emo kid, always an emo kid,” she shrugged, her smile turning sheepish, “what’s your favorite album?”

“From My Chemical Romance?” Sebastian asked before taking a sip of his beer. When Luna nodded, he sat up straighter, as if he were in school and needed to pay close attention. His answer was immediate, “definitely ‘I Brought You My Bullets.’”

Luna rolled her eyes. She wasn’t surprised, “of course it is.”

Sebastian furrowed his brow, “what’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I suspected you’d be the ‘the first album is always the best’ type of guy,” she explained, making sure to maintain her smile and playful tone.

“Well it is,” he retorted, sounding as if she’d insulted his mother, “the vocals are so raw and emotional and unfiltered. By the time they released ‘Danger Days,’ they’d gotten too polished and all that power they packed in their old stuff had fizzled out.”

Luna was in disbelief. The combination of Sebastian’s attitude, black clothing, and permanent indifference usually made him look as if he were in attendance to a funeral for a relative he’d never met. This was the first time she’d ever seen him look genuinely interested in something.

“What don’t you like about it?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“It’s not polished enough,” Luna said, directly contradicting what he seemed to love so much about My Chemical Romance’s debut album, “sound wise, I mean. I like the songs, but I just wish the sound quality was better. It sounds like it was recorded through a blender, on a tape recorder. It totally overshadows Gerard’s vocals.”

Sebastian took another swig of beer before relaxing into the coach again, saying, “you’d sound like you were recorded with a blender too if you tried recording an entire album in a basement with bad equipment and an oozing sore in your mouth.”

“Fair enough.”

It was silent between them for a solid minute, save for the white noise of their fellow bar patrons. Luna crossed and uncrossed her legs, trying to make herself comfortable in the rickety armchair and her least favorite jeans. Sebastian acted as if he were holding his hand out to a stray dog, afraid she’d bite if he made any sudden movements. It made her even more uncomfortable.

“So…” Sebastian cleared his throat, “what’s your favorite album?” Though he was looking at her, he refused to make contact, settling his gaze on her forehead.

“Easy. ‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge,’” Luna answered decisively.

Sebastian made a face that could be described as the visual representation of ‘meh.’ Luna frowned, “what? Too mainstream for you? At least I didn’t say ‘Welcome to the Black Parade,’ even though it’s a close second.”

“No,” Sebastian shook his head, “I’m just… not surprised. You strike me as the melodramatic type.”

He chuckled as Luna’s face scrunched up like she’d just swallowed a warhead. Mellow-dramatic? What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“All of their stuff is mellow-dramatic, except for ‘Danger Days.’ Come on, dude, ‘Bullets’ is your favorite, so you’re one to talk,” Luna shot back, mildly offended that he’d called her out like that. She crossed her arms as if it would protect her ego from any further verbal blows.

“Okay, when was the last time you listened to ‘Three Cheers?’ Did you forget about ‘I’m Not Okay’ and ‘Helena?’ Or ‘The Ghost of You?’” Sebastian spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “That’s probably one of the most mellow dramatic songs in existence, period. ‘At the top of my lungs in my arms, she dies?’ Come on,” he punctuated his point with a swig of beer.

Luna cocked an eyebrow at him, her lips turning up into a half smile, “are we seriously having an argument over who’s album of choice is more emo, and in turn which one of us is more emo? Because if we’re going based off looks alone, you win. Point blank. Next.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, “I’m not emo.”

Luna couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping her lips. Judging by his tone, he too had been made fun of for being emo in high school. He was just one of the people who still had a sore spot about it. She decided to drop the subject.

“What’s your favorite song off ‘Three Cheers?’”

Again, Luna’s answer was immediate, “’Cemetery Drive.’”

Sebastian thought it over, as if he were trying to play the song in his head from memory. “why?”

Luna opened her mouth to explain, but no words came out. She’d never thought about that.

“It’s just… it gives me a certain feeling,” that was the simplest way she could think of to describe it. How do you explain how a song makes you feel like it’s ripping up something inside you, only to put the pieces back together rearranged?

“It’s desperate and sad, and the chorus is so haunting. It makes my heart hurt, but in a good way,” Luna shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant even though she could feel the familiar flutter of torn paper in her chest. She didn’t say how it felt like a story with a missing ending, and she’d played it over and over again hoping it’d suddenly be there. It never was.

Luna watched his face carefully as he considered her words. He looked thoughtful at first, but his expression quickly turned mischievous, “that song is the definition of melodramatic.”

Before Luna could fire back with her own insults, she was interrupted by Abigail’s sudden arrival. Abigail padded over and plopped herself down into Sebastian’s lap as if it were the most obvious place to sit in the whole room.

Just like the time Luna watched her touch Sebastian so intimately when she pierced his lip, or the Flower Dance incident, she felt as if she were a voyeur. She pointedly looked away from them, staring down at the hardwood floor.

“Finally,” Sebastian said, seemingly unphased, “what took you so long? I’ve been waiting here for at least forty-five minutes.”

“Sorry. Got held up at the shop with dad. He needed help doing inventory,” Abigail shrugged. She smiled in Luna’s direction, “you had a successful season, huh? I can’t remember the last time we had that much locally grown produce available.”

Luna reflected her smile as if she were a funhouse mirror, “Ha, yeah… I, uh, got a little carried away,” she spared a glance at Sebastian, who still sat nonchalantly beneath Abigail.

“Where’s Sam?” Abigail asked, scanning the Saloon.

As if on cue, Sam burst through the Saloon doors and motored over to them. He was just about to greet them as excitedly as he always did, but his face brightened to the point of blinding at the sight of Sebastian and Abigail. He threw himself into Abigail’s lap, nearly toppling both of them over.

Luna watched in bemusement as Abigail and Sam laughed hysterically. Sebastian had thrown his arms up in surprise as the pair occupying his lap struggled to maintain their balance.

“Alright, nope. Both of you, off, now,” Sebastian said sternly, shoving at both of them as they giggled. Sam toppled onto the floor with a loud thud as Abigail managed to make a more graceful exit onto the opposite end of the couch.

“You’re no fun,” Sam whined as he stood up, brushing off his jeans. He was wearing one of those ugly Joja uniforms instead of his usual denim jacket, but his hair was just as gravity defying as ever. He smiled brightly at Luna, “Oh, hey! You came to cheer me on at pool tonight? I’m flattered!”

Luna cocked an eyebrow at him, but before she could ask what he meant, Abigail beat her to it, “No, she’s here to watch Seb take you to your grave.”

Sebastian and Luna shared a _look_ at Abigail’s choice of words. It was their inside joke now. Luna smiled at that thought.

“Ready to be embarrassed?” Sebastian asked as he stood up and strutted towards the pool table, carefully selecting a cue once he got there.

Sam scoffed, “Joke’s on you. I’m always embarrassed!”

Luna and Abigail stayed seated as the boys began their death match. Abigail seemed completely uninterested in the whole thing, but Luna observed them carefully. She’d never been good at pool despite all the time she’d spent prowling the bar scene back in Zuzu City. At least she could take comfort in the fact that she wasn’t nearly as bad as Sam.

“They do this every Friday night, even though we all know Seb’s gonna win and Sam’s gonna be super upset about it,” Abigail explained, having noticed how intensely Luna watched them, “it’s tradition.”

“Why bother then?” Luna questioned, “if you guys already know how it will turn out?”

Abigail shrugged, “there’s not many interesting things to do around here on a Friday night that won’t get us in trouble,” she paused when Sam swore loudly as Sebastian knocked his second to last ball into a hole, “besides, it’s one of the only times Sebastian willingly leaves his room.”

Luna nodded absently. Abigail was right. She saw nearly everyone who lived in Pelican Town on a daily basis, whether she was exploring the forest or mountain or stopping by Pierre’s for seeds. Sebastian kept to his room like a hermit crab to its shell.

“Fuck you!” Sam exclaimed. Luna whipped her head around just in time to see Sam aim his cue at Sebastian as if he were preparing for a joust, “fuck you and your fucking hoodie and your goddamn smug-ass face. Fuck.”

“Hey! Language!” Emily yelled at them from behind the bar, “keep it down over there!”

Sebastian indeed looked smug, leaning against the pool table with his hands folded atop the cue. Abigail golf clapped.

“I want a rematch,” Sam growled, pointing his cue at Sebastian to punctuate his words, “Loser has to buy all four of us pale ales.”

“You may as well just buy them now,” Sebastian shrugged. He grinned when Sam thwacked his should with his pool cue, “hey, no need to be violent.”

“I hope your mom isn’t expecting grandkids, because you’re not gonna live to see tomorrow morning,” Sam grumbled, going to reset the table.

“Sure, Sam. I’ll let her know,” Sebastian laid his cue against the pool table, “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna go smoke before our next round,” he announced before heading for the door.

Luna sat up straight in her seat. Shit, what time was it? She shifted to dig her phone out of her pocket and swore. 9:45. She needed to get home so she wouldn’t oversleep tomorrow morning. She stood up.

“Going somewhere?” Abigail asked.

Sam’s head shot up from the pool table to look at her with puppy dog eyes, “Aw, you’re leaving? Seb hasn’t even bought us beer yet.”

Luna smiled apologetically, “Sorry, guys, I need to get home. It’s the first day of Summer tomorrow so I need to get up early to plant everything.”

“It’s okay, we all know how this is gonna end up anyway. See you at the shop tomorrow,” Abigail winked at her.

“Hey! What that supposed to mean?”

* * *

 

It was still warm outside when Luna left the Saloon, a sure sign that the warm blanket of Summer had settled over the valley. Though the moon was void tonight, the antique lamps that lined the road cast a soft glow over Pelican Town. The walk home wouldn’t be a problem.

But instead of turning right and heading towards the hills, Luna went left, trailing the acrid scent of tobacco.

Sebastian had obscured himself behind discarded crates, but the smoke from his cigarette and lead a trail straight to him. Even though they’d had a decent conversation before being interrupted by Abigail and Sam, she hadn’t had the chance to say what she needed to.

“Hey,” Luna said softly as she stopped in front of him, trying not to startle him. He gave her a surprised look, blowing smoke out his nose like a dragon.

“Hey,” he echoed, sounding just as surprised as he looked. He went to ash out his cigarette, but Luna stopped him.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.”

Sebastian nodded, turning his attention to the night sky. He took another drag before saying, “heading out for the night?”

“Yeah,” Luna smiled, even though he wouldn’t see it. She patted her back pocket. Good, she hadn’t lost it, “I, uh, just wanted to talk to you first.”

Sebastian visibly stiffened. Luna felt her stomach sink. She’d hoped that he wouldn’t have that sort of reaction after their earlier My Chem debate, but he was still tense around her. After what had happened a few days ago, it didn’t make her angry anymore, just sad.

“We’re cool, right?” Luna asked, watching him carefully. Had Robin not of claimed him, she would have never guessed that he was her son. They looked nothing alike aside from their complexion, and their personalities were completely opposite.

“As far as I know,” Sebastian shrugged, still not looking at her. He took another drag off his cigarette, smoke dancing from his mouth along with his words, “unless you think otherwise.”

Luna paused for a moment before speaking. He knew, but did she? He was still acting weird around her, as if he was having a hard time differentiating who she really was from Luna Heartsigh; her confident, sensual online personality that she’d hid behind for years. She really couldn’t blame him. She had no idea how she’d react if someone she’d followed online moved in to her hometown out of nowhere, breaking the fourth wall.

“Listen… the last time I saw you was, well,” she sighed, picking from her word bank carefully, “it wasn’t ideal. Like, it wasn’t an ideal way for either of us to find out,” she dug her hands into he back pockets, a nervous habit she’d developed shortly after her dad passed away, “I was so out of it that morning at your place that I didn’t properly… I don’t know, explain things.”

Sebastian remained silent, staring straight ahead. She continued, “I don’t care that you know who I am, or that you followed my Jumblr or Jinstragram accounts. I really don’t. They were all public. It wasn’t a secret, and I was bound to meet someone who knew who I am eventually,” she purposely left out the part about never having expected it to be someone in Pelican Town, let alone him, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that it doesn’t matter to me that you know. You don’t have to treat me any differently. That part of my life is behind me.”

Luna’s heart thudded in her ears as she waited for a response. Yoba, it was torture watching him take a final drag from his cigarette before dropping it onto the cobblestone and stomping it out. She just wanted to know what he was thinking. She wanted to know that he didn’t look at her any differently than anyone else.

Sebastian blew out a final stream of smoke before he built up the courage to look at her, eye contact and all. It was too dark for her to see all the colors that swirled in his oil slick eyes, but his stare still unnerved her.

“Look, I’m not good with people to begin with,” he spoke quietly, carefully, digging his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, “so when you showed up, it threw me for a loop. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t,” he trailed off, shutting his eyes tightly, “I didn’t want you to think I was a weird fanboy or some sort of pervert, so I decided to keep my distance. Instead I made an ass of myself. I’m sorry.”

Luna blinked. She hadn’t expected him to apologize again.

“It’s okay,” she breathed.

“I liked your art and your photos, and you seemed like an interesting person, so I followed you,” he explained, “it was just awkward when you showed up in town because, well… you know.”

Luna smirked, “it’s okay, I know how hot I am.”

Sebastian scoffed, but he looked significantly less nervous. Even in the dim light, she could see that his face had gone slightly pink, “yeah, I guess.”

There was a moment of silence between them, but it wasn’t awkward like it had been before. It felt like a pause between songs on a CD, like it was meant to be there. The only noise outside of them came from the crickets and nearby saloon patrons.

“I just want you to know that you don’t need to treat me any differently, okay? My only request is that you don’t tell anyone about ‘Luna Heartsigh.’ That’s not me anymore,” she didn’t say that she didn’t want the townspeople judging her, figuring it was obvious.

“I can do that,” Sebastian agreed.

They didn’t discuss what this meant for their precarious relationship, and if they were friends now. It was just an affirmation that the peace treaty they’d signed a few days prior was permanent. Luna pulled her hands out of her back pocket, one hand holding something special. She stretched her closed fist out towards Sebastian and opened it to reveal an amethyst shard, catching purple and silver in the lamp light. Sebastian’s eyes went wide.

“This is to thank you for saving me. I found it in the mines that night,” she smiled as Sebastian gingerly took the gift from her open palm, holding it up to the light to look at it closer. He looked as if he were at a loss for words, so Luna continued, “I’m sorry that I was so weird about being at your place that night… It had been a rough day.”

“I like this,” Sebastian breathed. He smiled down at her, a simple thing that made her own smile widen, “thank you. And don’t worry about it.”

“So we’re cool?” Luna repeated her earlier question.

Sebastian nodded slowly before carefully slipping the amethyst into his pocket as if it were precious cargo, “yeah, we’re cool.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is finally done and I'm soooooo tired. I'd planned on this one being short, sweet, and to the point, but instead I ended up writing another 5,000 words lmao. The next chapter is for sure going to be shorter.


	9. Two of Hearts

To: [lunamccarty@jmail.com](mailto:lunamccarty@jmail.com)

From: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org)

Subject: Checking In

Hi, Luna. It’s been a few weeks since I last heard from you, so I figured it was time to check in. How’s the farm? Were you able to get all those seeds you bought planted? It still baffles me that you bought so many tulip bulbs. Most importantly, how are you?

Everything over here is fine. The most interesting case we’ve dealt with all month was a property dispute between a married couple over who got custody of their pet rats. Their daughter ended up with them after lots of back and forth. I thought you’d find that funny since you’ve always loved rats so much. Aside from that, John and I have had nothing but run of the mill cases to work on.

I miss you a lot, you know. It used to be so easy for me to just drive up to the city and take you out to lunch, but I can’t exactly do that with you all the way out in Pelican Town. I took you living so close for granted. Hopefully I can see you soon.

Love, Mom

* * *

 

To: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org)

From: [lunamccarty@jmail.com](mailto:lunamccarty@jmail.com)

Subject: Re: Checking In

Hey, mom! Has it really been that long since I last emailed you? Sorry about that. The last week of Spring was really hectic for me and Summer has kept me pretty busy. Lots of planting and clearing out more space for expansion. I’ll attach some pictures of what the place looks like so far! You wouldn’t even recognize it.

Aside from the usual chaos, everything’s been chill for the most part. The only crazy thing that’s happened is that I accidentally fell into the river last week, but I’m fine! Thank Yoba you signed me up for swim lessons at the JYMCA back in the third grade. They really paid off, haha.

Oh! Get this! I had the old barn restored and I’M GETTING GOATS just like granddad used to have! I’m so excited. Do you remember Marnie and her ranch? I’m heading over there tomorrow to pick out the goats and they’ll hopefully be here in a few days! I’m so excited!

WOW the fact that those people cared about their rats so much that they had a legal battle over them is touching. I miss having rats. If it weren’t for Pancake bringing me dead mice all the time I’d love to keep them again. Oh well. I just found out that if I expand my coop enough I can get rabbits, so that would fill the void. For now, I think I’m just gonna focus on gardening and getting the goats settled in.

I miss you too. I know that it’s hard for you to get time off from work, but you should come to visit me! You haven’t been out here in years and I’m sure Lewis and everyone else in town would love to see you again. I know it’s a stretch but promise me that you’ll at least think about it, okay?

-Luna

* * *

 

 

To: [lunamccarty@jmail.com](mailto:lunamccarty@jmail.com)

From: [kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org](mailto:kimmccarty@mccartyandclark.org)

Subject: Re: Re: Checking In

Luna, are you sure getting goats is a good idea? I know we’ve had dogs and cats all your life, but goats are an entirely different animal, literally. Your grandfather made it look easy because he’d worked on a farm since childhood. I don’t want you getting in over your head. Goats can be mean.

Also, why on Yoba’s green earth did you fall into the river? Did you slip? Are you not wearing the right shoes for farm work? You really should be more careful. The last thing I need is to not hear from you for a few weeks only to get a phone call from Lewis saying you’ve fallen off a cliff and cracked your head open.

I know that you’re happy there, but I’m still worried about you. I can’t help but feel like you’re hiding something from me. You said in one of our last emails that you were unhappy in Zuzu City and that your grandfather’s letter felt like a solution, but up until that point you’d never mentioned being unhappy. I still don’t quite understand that rain of thought.

As much as I want to see you, a visit is out of the question. I can’t take any time off work for at least a few months. I’m sorry.

Please try to email me more frequently. I need the peace of mind.

Love, Mom

* * *

 

Luna dropped her watering can and wiped the sweat from her brow. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun beat down mercilessly on Stardew Valley as if it were the only place it needed to shine. Humidity was nonexistent, and the air felt as if someone had sucked all the moisture out of it with a straw, leaving dry heat in its place.

Luna had always struggled in hot weather, but at least her apartment in Zuzu City had central air conditioning. The modest cottage she’d inherited was another story. The sun glared at the front of the house all afternoon, making her bedroom and the living room unbearably hot until well into the night. She kept a fan in her room, but she still spent most nights tossing and turning and woke up irritated. It was miserably hot days like these when she wondered if leaving Zuzu City had really been the best decision.

Finally finished with the days work, Luna took a seat next to Pancake on the front porch. The orange cat was sprawled out languidly on his back with his paws up, absorbing the sun into his belly as if her were performing photosynthesis. She reached over and ran a hang through his under-fluff, eliciting a loud ‘mwar’ but no attempt at escape.

Luna placed her head in her hands and sighed. She was sleepy and hungry, but the heat made it impossible to nap comfortably and left her nauseous if she ate anything. All there really was to do for the rest of the day was mope. At least she could take solace in the fact that the sunflowers she’d planted had already sprouted. She wanted the field to look just like it did when she was little; lively and green and speckled with bright, blooming flowers. She was getting there.

Had Luna of been in a better mood, she could have emailed her mom back, but after the last email she just didn’t have the energy to defend herself. Sure, she could fool herself into thinking that everything was fine, but her mom, intuitive and intelligent lawyer Kim McCarty, was harder to convince. That’s how she’d always been. Even with little white lies like claiming she’d done her homework when she didn’t, or not eating all the cheese crackers, her mom could sniff out bullshit like a trained hunting dog. Bigger lies, like the real reason Luna had moved to Stardew Valley, barely posed much more of a challenge. That’s what made her a good lawyer and an even better mom.

That’s what made her hard to talk to.

When everything imploded, Luna thanked her lucky stars that her mom didn’t use social media for anything other than work. She was old school. She kept up with the people she cared about through emails and hour-long phone conversations and plans to meet up for brunch. Her mom hadn’t witnessed the nuclear attack on Luna’s existence known as Thrills, and she hadn’t experienced the fallout. All she knew was that something was wrong.

Luna wasn’t ready to explain everything just yet. That would make it real. That would make Stardew Valley nothing more than an escape, a glorified hiding place from the past that relentlessly searched for her. Just the thought of telling the truth, of facing it, terrified her. So, she didn’t.

Luna’s joints popped as she stood up. A bath was definitely in order. She had planned on heading into town later and didn’t want to walk into Pierre’s looking like a ragamuffin. Hot air hit Luna in the face like she’d opened the door to a preheated oven rather than her house. Even Pancake wouldn’t follow her inside, instead retreating under the porch. Leaving the windows open hadn’t done any good. Hot air plus hot air equaled more hot air.

By the time Luna reached her tiny bathroom, she was already naked, unable to wait any longer to remove her sweaty, mulch-smeared clothes. She’d peel off her skin if she could. Anything to feel cleaner.

“Shit,” she swore. The water that ran from the bath tap was cold as ice. The ancient water heater that lived behind her cottage had finally given in. She dipped her toe in the water, a shiver darting up her leg and along her spine until it reached the top of her head. Even in hellish weather, Luna had never been able to tolerate cold baths. She was convinced anyone who willing bathed in water that cold had to be an ice demon.

Luna grabbed a wash cloth and the handmade goats milk soap she’d purchased at Marnie’s ranch. She’d just have to settle for a sponge bath. Relief washed over Luna along with soap and water as she cleansed herself, and she found herself wishing it was as easy to scrub her mind clean as it was her body. A specific line from her mom’s email played over and over again in her head like a scratched CD.

_I can’t help but feel like you’re hiding something from me._

Unable to stand the idea of dunking her head into cold water to wash her hair, she settled on tying it up with a bandana before changing into comfortable clothes and sturdy boots. A trip to the mines should clear her head, plus, it’d be much cooler underground.

After packing her rucksack with snacks and the necessary supplies, Luna hooked her sword to her hip and headed up the back way to the mountain. She waved at Pancake on her way out, who was sun bathing by his water dish.

“You’re in charge. No wild parties.”

He ‘mwarred’ at her in response.

Luna power walked across the over pass and along the mountain path, cursing herself for having forgotten to apply sunscreen. The faster she made it to the mines and out of the sun, the better. She loved the kissing marks the sun left her in the form of freckles, but she was terrified of meeting the same fate her grandad had. Developing melanoma wasn’t on her agenda.

She paused to catch her breath when she crested the cliff above Robin’s house, closing her eyes and inhaling the nectar sweet air. Despite how hot it was, there was no denying Stardew Valley was absolutely beautiful bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. Even with the dry air, the hills remained luscious and green and the flowers colored the hills like sprinkles on ice cream. The cherry on top was the way the sun seemed to make everything look as if it wore a golden veil. She couldn’t wait for Ramona to see it.

Ramona. Luna repeated her best friend’s name in her head as she descended the stairs that led to the clearing. She’d be arriving in a few weeks, so she needed to start preparing the house for a guest soon. Her eyes shot wide with realization and her stomach turned. She couldn’t not have hot water while Ramona was there. She knew that Ramona would understand but it’d bother her, plus if she let it slip to her mom that she didn’t have hot water, she’d never hear the end of it.

Luna slowed to a halt as she passed the front of Robin’s house. She needed to stop by soon to discuss when they’d get started on renovating the house, and it wouldn’t be too much to ask if she could replace the water heater. Why not hit two birds with one stone? She headed for the front door.

“Hey, Robin!” Luna called much more cheerily than she felt as she entered the workshop. She was surprised to see Robin’s desk empty. Had she closed shop already? She glanced up at the hand carved coo-coo clock that hung abov _e_ her work bench. As expected, it was way too early for her to not be out front.

Luna poked her head through the doorway and looked down the hall, expecting to see light from the kitchen or maybe underneath the bathroom door, but the house was dark. Even Demetrius’s lab was quiet, save for the buzzing of the sunlamps that hung above his latest specimens. Luna was thoroughly confused. Why would they have left the door unlocked if no one was home?

Perplexed and a bit worried, Luna looked towards the stairs that led to the basement. She could just barely make out light pooling at the bottom of the door to Sebastian’s room. Maybe he knew where his mom was.

After their most recent conversation, there was no hesitation as Luna stepped down the stairs towards Sebastian’s room and knocked on the door. There was a short pause before he called, “it’s open.”

Luna let herself in to find Sebastian hiding behind his computer, expensive looking headphones hung over his ears. She could hear his fingers performing a rapid fire crescendo on the keyboard. He didn’t look away from his screen or say anything more, so Luna walked towards his desk. He glanced upwards at the sound of sudden movement, looking taken aback when he cought sight of her.

“Oh, hey, Luna,” his voice cracked when he greeted her, like he hadn’t spoken all day. He slipped his headphones off, “I thought you were Maru when you knocked.”

“Nope, itsa me… Mario,” the stupid joke slipped out to quickly for her to stop it. She grinned at him with her mouth closed.

Sebastian laughed through his nose before turning back to the monitor. He didn’t put his headphones back on as he picked back up on what he’d been doing before she’d shown up, “what brings you here?”

“I’m looking for your mom. I didn’t see her upstairs.”

The corners of Sebastian’s mouth lifted ever so slightly, “your princess is in another castle.”

“Ha,” Luna threw her head back into an over dramatic guffaw, “you got jokes, huh?”

“My whole existence is a joke,” he said dryly, his tone almost a little too serious. He didn’t look away from the screen as he spoke, “my mom closed up shop early so she could head into town to buy groceries.”

“Oh.”

Silence. Luna glanced at the monitor expecting to see an instant messenger or WASD based game, but instead she was greeted by seemingly endless strings of code. She squinted at it as if she were looking at hieroglyphics. Sebastian’s fingers danced fluidly across the keyboard, numbers and letters appearing one after the other without any effort. He clicked his tongue before stopping to write something in the notebook beside his mousepad.

“What are you doing?” Luna asked, sounding vaguely accusatory.

“Coding.”

“Why?” She couldn’t fathom why anyone would willingly subject themselves to this.

“Because I’m getting paid to do it.”

It was like a lightbulb had flickered on above Luna’s head. She could sort of remember Sam or Abigail mentioning he had a tech related job. No wonder he spent so much time hiding in the basement; he was working.

“I do freelance work as a programmer,” Sebastian explained, “some guy in central Ferngill wants a program that will help him digitally catalogue his gridball card collection. It’s just for personal use but he wants it as user friendly as possible,” he paused and opened up another window, a much more familiar looking program filling the screen. It looked a lot like Excel, but more picture based, “it’s a fairly simple job but he wants it streamlined.”

“Oh…wow,” Luna hummed, trying her best to sound like she knew exactly what all of that meant, “that’s neat. How long have you been at this?”

“A few days,” he shrugged, “it’s a nice break from all the stuff I’ve been doing for Joja Corp.”

That threw Luna for a loop. Sebastian was the last person she’d expect to be working under the corporate juggernaut that was Joja, “wait, you work for them?”

“Sort of. I’m under a short-term contract helping them upkeep their jPhone applications. Bug testing, writing updates, that kind of stuff,” he paused to stretch, his joints popping. He cracked his neck and Luna cringed at the sound.

“I used to work at one of their offices as a phone operator,” Luna started, “I fucking hated it. They treat their employees like shit and the job was super boring,” just talking about her old job made her feel like a cog in a giant machine again.

“So you quit and ran away to become a farmer?”

“Exactly,” sort of. There was more to it than that.

Sebastian grimaced, “of all the places you could have moved to, you chose Pelican Town?”

Luna crossed her arms, bristling from his judgmental tone. She hadn’t been there long, but she had enough history with the place to be attached to it, “yeah. Rosewood Hills was my granddad’s farm, remember? Why would I have gone anywhere else if I already inherited land here?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian said flatly, like he was disappointed but not surprised at her reaction, “I guess if I were you I would have gone somewhere more exciting than Pelican Town.”

“You’ve also lived here all your life,” she pointed out.

“True.”

“So where would you runaway to if you had the chance?”

Sebastian bounced back and forth between the coding and program windows a few times before he answered her, as if it helped him think better, “I don’t know. I’ve always been drawn to the city.”

Luna pursed her lips. She’d been drawn to the city too, but it didn’t take long for her to realize it was a fatal attraction once she’d gotten there. Zuzu City was all stainless steel and cement, an endless expanse of gray that got duller the longer you looked at it.

“Zuzu City is okay,” Luna said after an extended pause, “I guess I just got tired of it.”

Sebastian didn’t respond, at least not verbally. He nodded and continued on with his work. Evidently, her opinion on his escape plan didn’t matter to him. He didn’t tell her to leave, so Luna hung out for a few minutes. She quietly watched him string together lines of code, leaning her hip against the side of his desk. Her eyes eventually began to wander, dipping from the screen to his black painted finger nails, his hands, and then up his arms. He was still wearing his trademark hoodie despite the atrocious heat. He even had his hood pulled up for some reason, like he was a hacker trying to hide his identity from prying eyes. Even in his own room he tried to be invisible.

Her gaze lingered on his face for a few minutes, admiring his full bottom lip and the ring that hung there, before her attention was drawn to the wall behind him. Aside from the comic and video game posters he’d hung up, there were also a few photographs. They were all exclusively of him, Sam, and Abigail. There was a candid of them at what looked like a fair, an ugly group photo of them wearing unflattering 2010 scene haircuts and Hot Topic T-Shirts, and one with Sam yanking Sebastian’s mouth into a smile with his fingers. But the photo she found herself staring at the longest was a shot of Sebastian and Abigail at the beach. Abigail was hitching a ride on Sebastian’s back, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders and her purple curls flying wildly in the breeze. Sebastian stood in the water with the legs of his jeans pulled up, grinning with his eyes closed and looking happier than she’d ever seen him. The perfectly placed sunset and cotton candy pink clouds made the photo look as if it were a scene out of a movie.

Luna could feel her stomach tightening; it felt like someone had reached their hand up inside of her and squeezed as hard as they could. Yoba, was she jealous? And if she was jealous, what was she jealous of? There was no denying that Sebastian’s a good-looking guy, but she didn’t have those kinds of feelings towards him, so it couldn’t be Abigail she was jealous of.

It took her a solid minute of staring at the photo until she finally realized what about it had made her vision green. Sebastian and Abigail’s connection was comfortable and easy. They complimented each other like peanut butter and chocolate; seemingly opposite flavors, one salty and one sweet, but they went together perfectly. Luna wasn’t jealous of them because she wanted to be Abigail or vice versa. She was jealous of them because she wanted what they had.

“How long have you been together?” the question slipped out without any prior thought.

Sebastian’s typing slowed, “what are you talking about?”

“You and Abigail.”

One of Sebastian’s eyebrows twitched, and his typing came to a halt. He turned to face Luna, looking as if he’d misheard her, “what?”

“How long have you and Abigail been together?” Luna repeated, trying not to sound aggravated as she pointed her chin at the photograph behind him.

Sebastian stared at her like she’d grown a second head for a few seconds before he finally looked over his shoulder, glancing back and forth between her and the photo so fast it was cartoonish. When his gaze finally settled back on her, his expression was somewhere between bemused and disgusted. Luna looked at him expectantly.

“Abigail is a lesbian,” Sebastian said as if it was a well-known fact. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Abigail is a lesbian. Duh.

“Oh,” Luna pushed the word out in a sharp exhale. She could feel her ears getting hot.

“We grew up together,” Sebastian explained, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, “my mom and Caroline were friends back in high school, so when Abby was born they used to take turns babysitting us while they were working. Our moms aren’t close anymore but Abby is like a little sister to me.”

Luna may as well of been wearing a dunce cap, she felt so incredibly stupid. She felt stupid for assuming, stupider for asking, and stupidest for caring. She stared down at the scuffed toes of her boots, unable to make eye contact with him.

“I can see why you thought that though,” Sebastian spoke after a brief period of silence, “everyone did back in high school, at least until Abby came out. I think my mom was convinced we’d get married someday,” Luna looked up just in time to see him shudder, “ugh, that’d practically be incest.”

Luna found herself nervously rocking on her heels. She felt the need to run but wasn’t sure what kind of excuse to use that wouldn’t make her embarrassment totally obvious. As if divine intervention from Yoba himself, his computer pinged, startling them both. Sebastian’s swiveled his chair back around, sighing when he saw the screen. An IM had popped up.

“Sam wants to hangout,” he read allowed, sounding unenthusiastic. Luna could barely hear him muttering, “I really don’t feel like going out today.”

Before Luna had the chance to say anything, both of their heads whipped around at the sound of the door clicking open. Robin poked her head in, and Luna felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

She was about to say something to her son but stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of Luna, “oh, hey Luna! Wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Hi,” Luna smiled uncomfortably, wiggling her fingers in a half-hearted wave.

“Hey,” Robin waved back. She hesitantly stepped into the room, her attention back on Sebastian, “Sebby, I know you don’t like it when I come in here, but I ran into Abigail at the store and she said she was looking for you. “

“Did you tell her I’m working?” Sebastian said, sounding annoyed.

“I did,” Robin replied, giving him the patented ‘you better not pull a tone with me’ stink eye, “she said she’ll probably come over anyway.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “does no one take my job seriously?”

Luna and Robin shared a second of awkward eye contact as Sebastian continued, his words sharpening like a knife the longer he spoke, “no one ever bothers Maru when she’s working at the clinic. Does everyone think I’m just surfing the web all day?”

“Is it really such a bad thing that your friends want to see you, Sebastian?” Robin said shortly, cutting him off, “don’t be so unreasonable.”

“I’m not…” he stopped himself, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes tightly. He took a few seconds to calm himself down, before muttering, “thanks for letting me know.”

“You’re welcome,” Robin replied, as if they hadn’t almost just gotten into an argument. She shot Luna a smile that was just a little too tight, “I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

And with that, she retreated.

Luna sucked her teeth, not entirely sure what she just witnessed. On the surface it seemed pretty obvious, but she got the sense that there was more to it than that, that this was a regular occurrence. Neither of them said anything for a short while, the only sound in the room the hum of Sebastian’s computer.

“Was I bothering you?” Luna’s voice cracked when she finally mustered up the courage to speak. She’d thought that things were going well between them, but after what just happened she wasn’t so sure.

Sebastian shook his head, his bangs falling in his face. He didn’t bother pushing them away, “no, you weren’t,” he reassured her, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“It’s okay.”

“I love Abby and Sam, but…” he sighed, “they’re just a little much sometimes. They require a lot more attention. You just stood there and let me work. Thank you.”

Luna didn’t say anything. If she were being perfectly honest, Sebastian’s attitude and how quickly he’d gotten upset had made her want to get out of there as fast as she could. She still felt like she shouldn’t be there, and now that Robin was back, she had the perfect excuse to leave.

“I…I should get going,” Luna cleared the lump from her throat, “I still need to talk you your mom and I was on my way to the mines anyway-“

Sebastian waved her off before turning back to his work, “it’s fine. I need to get as much of this done as I can before the evil twins get here.”

Luna smiled weakly. She turned to leave, “see you around?”

“See you around.”

He looked like he was fully engrossed in his work, so Luna left it at that and headed for the stairs. Just as she took her first step up, something stopped her.

“Wait, are you carrying a fucking sword?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two heart event, woooo! I cut out some of the dialogue as I don't want certain information to come to light until later on ;) I have a lot of fun stuff planned for the next few chapters!


	10. Goats

Luna was awoken by a single ray of sunshine that had snuck through the blinds and shone right across her eyes. She shut them tighter, but it was no use. The sun and noise from the bustling streets below had no intention of letting her fall back asleep.

Groaning, she rolled over to face the wall opposite from the window. The clock on her bedside table read 7:17 AM in blinding neon green. At least she could sneak in another twenty minutes of rest before getting ready for work. The bed shifted beside her, and an arm draped languidly over Luna’s shoulder. She smiled at the sensation of soft lips brushing the back of her neck.

“Good morning,” Lorelei breathed, voice still thick with sleep.

Luna tangled her fingers with Lorelei’s and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. Lorelei giggled and snuggled into Luna’s back, pulling her in so close Luna could feel her heartbeat against her back. Despite the chill of February air, she was warm, tangled in her lover’s arms and cushioned by their pillow soft bed. Yoba, getting up for work was going to be hard this morning.

“When do you have to leave?” Lorelei whispered after a few minutes of comfortable silence, trailing her fingers along the waistband of Luna’s shorts. Luna couldn’t help but press her lower half against Lorelei’s, eliciting a groan that vibrated through her chest.

“Soon,” Luna sighed, wishing she had more time before facing the harsh reality of living in a capitalist society. Lorelei’s fingers dipped even lower, past the waistband of her panties. This time it was Luna’s turn to groan at the tremors pulsating from her core, “way too soon.”

“Mmmmm,” Lorelei hummed, gently maneuvering Luna onto her back so she was looking up at her. Her heart stuttered at the sight of her, hair the color of sepia ink mussed and green eyes heavy with lust. The peaks of her nipples peaked through her thin sleep shirt, and Luna struggled not to reach up and roll them between her fingers. This was too much for this early in the morning.

Lorelei leaned down to kiss her neck, simultaneously trailing her fingers to where Luna needed her most. Luna gasped and arched her back as fireworks lit up her abdomen. Oh. _Oh_.

“I can be fast,” Lorelei whispered, lips tickling Luna’s ear. As if guided by some unknown force, Luna pressed herself harder against her lover’s expert hand.

“Yes,” she moaned, “okay.”

She spent the rest of the day thankful for the sunbeam that had woken her up early that morning, and thankful for Lorelei.

* * *

 

“Fuck,” Luna hissed, lifting her thumb to her mouth and biting at the skin around her nails. Though she was breathing hard, harder than she did when she was outside tending the fields, she felt as if she couldn’t get enough air to her lungs. Just the sight of the Jinstagram logo was suffocating, and she hadn’t even logged in yet.

Luna shifted, mattress springs squeaking beneath her. After feeding the goats and getting yardwork done, she’d locked herself in her room like a kid who was afraid of their mom walking in on them doing something they weren’t supposed to. Though the only other inhabitant of the house, Pancake, was curled up on her pillow, she still felt safer holed up in her bedroom with the door locked.

Luna hadn’t checked any of her social media accounts for months and she was terrified of what she might find there. It was like anticipating a jump scare. She needed to be prepared, ready to confront whatever waited for her in the digital realm. She’d been able to work up the nerve to get her laptop out and pull up Jinstragram, so she had to be ready to login. She couldn’t wait anymore.

Taking a deep breath, Luna typed in her username and password so fast she spelled them both wrong the first time and had to try again. On the second try she used the wrong username. She paused and took another breath. Okay. She was okay. She could do this. She tried again.

Luna didn’t realize that she’d been holding her breath until her molasses slow wifi finally loaded her profile page. She exhaled so sharply it was almost a whistle.

 _Lunaheartsigh._ She read. _379 posts. 304 following._ Her jaw dropped. _51,000 followers_ ; it’d jumped by nearly 30,000 since the last time she’d logged in.

Since Thrills had been posted.

Luna was reeling, closing her eyes tightly as she clasped her hands over her mouth. Instead of going numb from shock, she found herself hyperaware of everything around her. The gentle pitter-patter of June gloom had become a summer storm, the smell of dust and old wood was suddenly overwhelming, and she could feel the blood rushing through her veins.

 _Yoba, oh, yoba_. 30,000 people. Had they all seen Thrills? Had one five-minute video posted on one streaming site reached that amount of people in such a short time? How many of them had shared Thrills with their friends, their coworkers, acquaintances? How many had posted it to their sideblog or secret Jitter account for their followers to enjoy? How many had found her through shared links and followed, hoping for more? Had that many people unknowingly violated her privacy in the most intimate way?

Hands shaking, Luna gathered what little courage she had left and clicked on her most recent post. It was a mirror photo of herself she’d taken right before heading out to a Movements concert, her hair and makeup immaculate and outfit perfectly coordinated. She looked confident and beautiful, and the expression on her face read as an open invitation to look at her, all of her. She’d wanted people to admire her like a work of art displayed in an upscale museum, but Thrills had devalued her. She’d gone from being a priceless painting to a zoo animal in a too small cage with too many eyes on her.

“Still an emo kid at heart,” read the caption, referencing the thrifted Fall Out Boy shirt she was wearing. She was smiling at her phone coyly, blissfully unaware of what awaited her once she got back home that night. Her phone had died during the concert, so she didn’t find out about Thrills until she’d gotten home. Just thinking about it made her feel like she was going to throw up.

Against her better judgement, Luna scrolled downwards to read the comments, chewing the skin of her thumb again. For the most part, it wasn’t too bad; there were the usual compliments, gushing about how beautiful she looked and wondering where the hell she’d been. Some people speculated amongst themselves over what happened to her, some saying she’d simply ghosted while others argued that maybe she’d been murdered. Then there were the nastier comments. People detailing what they’d like to do to her and how. But those weren’t the ones that bothered her. She’d gotten used to people lusting over her and drank it like honey-sweetened iced tea, shamelessly loving the attention. No, what bothered her was the people begging for more of something she hadn’t been willing to give in the first place.

_Thrills was hot_ _😉 post another video?_

_Yo I’d love to see you do something solo!_

_Would you ever do a video with a dude? Please post another one!_

_Gonna watch Thrills again tonight…_

Luna wanted to respond to those comments. She wanted to tell them that Thrills hadn’t been her idea, that she hadn’t consented to it, that she wanted it gone. She wanted to clear her name. But it wasn’t that simple; Lorelei acted as a roadblock on her path to redemption.

Lorelei.

The sight of her username made Luna gasp. She’d only commented a single word; _beautiful_. Luna swatted at the imaginary spiders crawling up her arms. Yoba, she’d been so stupid. Lorelei had probably posted that comment right before uploading Thrills, knowing full well the magnitude of what she was about to do.

The sting of betrayal prickled outwards from Luna’s chest. She thought she’d gotten over this, over her, but apparently not. Despite how angry she was, a small part of her wanted to check up on her, scathing emails be damned.

The link to loreleilives Jinstragram profile turned blue as Luna dragged her cursor over it. She was just one click away from seeing Lorelei again, from finding out what she’d been up to these last few months and if she really was over her. But before Luna could make that bad decision, the sound of a car engine caught her attention.

Luna slammed her laptop shut with enough force to startle Pancake awake, the cat jumping to the floor and scurrying under the bed at the sound of commotion. She scrambled off the bed and towards the window, yanking the curtains back with a little too much force. An old red pickup truck kicked up dust as it rumbled up her driveway, Robin sitting behind the wheel. Luna’s eyes went wide when she noticed Sebastian on the passenger side with his head propped up against the window.

What the hell. Luna ducked away from the window just as Robin parked, grabbing desperately for a hairbrush and deodorant. She’d put no effort into her appearance that morning, throwing on a grass stained shirt and basketball shorts that were way too big. She hadn’t even brushed her hair. She knew Robin wouldn’t care, but there was no way she’d let Sebastian see her like this.

Luna had managed to tie her hair up and yank an oversized hoodie just as Robin knocked on the door, “just a minute!” she called, pulling down the basketball shorts and fumbling for her jeans.

Luna made it to the door seconds after fastening the button of her jeans, “hey,” she said sheepishly as she pulled the door open, “good morning, guys.”

“Good morning,” Robin said, tone far too energetic for how early it was. When Sebastian didn’t say anything, she dug an elbow into his ribs, eliciting some sort of grumbled greeting. The bags under his eyes were a clear indicator that he hadn’t slept much the night before if at all.

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought Sebastian along,” Robin said as Luna stepped aside to let them in, “he’s going to help me take some measurements.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” Luna shrugged, as if her mad dash to look somewhat presentable never happened, “hey, Seb.”

Sebastian halfheartedly waved at her. He’d switched out his usual hoodie for one of those athletic ones, the thinner material accentuating his slender frame rather than hiding it. Luna was a bit taken aback by this, as the oversized hoodie he usually wore made him look much bigger. It was like dunking a long-haired cat into water and watching them lose half their mass.

“Wow,” Robin let out a low whistle as she looked over the interior of Luna’s modest cottage. She planted her fists on her sides, “this place is definitely a fixer-upper.”

“Ha, yeah. I make do, though,” Luna shrugged, feeling a little embarrassed. She did her best to upkeep the house, but there was only so much she could do with it being so old and having sat abandoned for five years. It was a wonder it’d still been inhabitable when she moved in.

“Sebby, do me a favor and take some measurements in the…” Robin trailed off as she pointed her chin at the woodstove and mini-fridge, “kitchen. After that, check the windows and let me know if they need to be replaced. Luna and I will look at the bathroom and bedroom.”

Sebastian barely nodded at them before he took off towards Luna’s sorry excuse for a kitchen. Luna and Robin made their way towards the bathroom.

“Ah, looks like your grandpa never had the original fixtures replaced,” Robin mused as the light flickered to life. Luna stayed back in the doorframe as Robin poked around, taking measurements of the walls and bathtub and scribbling them down in her yellow notepad.

Admittedly, Luna was a little anxious about all this. She’d blown most of her Spring profits and what was left of her final paycheck from Joja getting the goats settled in. When it came to her work, Robin didn’t cut any corners and wouldn’t stop until everything was up to her standards. She could only imagine how much work the house needed, and how much it was going to cost.

“You said you wanted me to install a shower head, right?” Robin questioned, unknowingly interrupting Luna’s mental gymnastics, “I shouldn’t have too much of a problem getting into the wall and setting it up.”

“That’d be perfect,” Luna smiled. The thought of being able to shower again made her giddy, despite her anxiety. What a luxury.

Robin hummed and jotted something down in her notes before gently pushing past Luna and heading for the bedroom. Luna had completely forgotten about Pancake, who at the sight of a strange woman intruding in _his_ kingdom, bolted for the door and nearly tripped Robin over during his grand escape to the living room.

“Oooh, sorry! Should have warned you about him,” Luna said apologetically as she helped Robin retain her balance, “he doesn’t like strangers.”

“Neither does my son. I’m used to it.”

Luna laughed.

“Hmmm,” Robin paused to survey the small bedroom, paying special attention to exposed wood of the ceiling. She pointed upwards, “have you had any leakage?”

“A little here and there. Nothing a bucket can’t fix.”

“You won’t be saying that once Winter comes and you have to deal with snow melt. Your insulation probably needs to be replaced too,” Robin muttered, pinching her chin with her thumb and index finger as she mulled things over, “yeah, I should definitely replace your insulation. And you could really use an actual kitchen. Are you even able to cook in there?”

“Uh, not really. I’m managing though,” Luna answered, trying to sound nonchalant. It’d be too embarrassing to admit that she’d been living off of Gus’ spaghetti and whatever fresh produce she didn’t sell for the last three months.

Robin’s face fell, “Oh, honey. Yoba, I really should have gotten this place fixed up before you moved in…” she trailed off, scratching the back of her neck.

“It’s okay,” Luna insisted, “It’s not like I’m living in a cardboard box or something. Besides, it’s not your responsibility.”

Robin bristled like a disgruntled cat at that statement. She turned to face Luna, hands on her hips in the classic ‘mom about to set you straight’ stance, “your grandpa was a good friend of mine and I’ll be damned if I let his granddaughter live in a house that isn’t up to proper living standards.”

Luna blinked. She had no idea what to say to that, even though she could feel warmth spreading through her chest from Robin’s genuine concern for her well-being.

Sighing, Robin leaned up against the footboard of Luna’s bed, the wood creaking beneath her weight. She looked around the room as if she were seeing an old friend for the first time in years. Luna balanced back and forth on her heels.

“I’m sorry,” Robin said gently, “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I had a… frustrating morning, to say the least. Trying to drag Sebastian out of the house is enough of a hassle, let alone doing it before nine AM,” she paused, “I’m worried about him.”

Luna nodded in response, still unable to find the right words. She really didn’t know enough about their situation or relationship to comfort Robin, despite wanting to. But she did know from personal experience that Sebastian could be difficult to deal with sometimes.

“Yoba, I really shouldn’t have told you that,” Robin laughed, as if just realizing what she’d said. She shook her head, “Look, Luna, you haven’t lived here long, and we don’t know each other very well, but my maternal instincts are going into overdrive here. Your grandpa treated me like his own daughter when I moved out here on my own, and I want to do the same for you. Not just to return the favor, but because I consider you a friend and it’s the right thing to do.”

“Robin, I… shit,” Luna stammered. This was going to be embarrassing. She took a deep breath, “I appreciate that, I really do, but I don’t think I have enough money saved up right now for a full renovation. I can pay for the water heater, but that’s about it.”

Robin snorted before doubling over in a full-on belly laugh. Luna gawked at her in confusion. Had she missed something?

“Who said anything about you paying me?” Robin asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

Luna raised an eyebrow at her, “uh, we discussed it when I told you about the water heater.”

“Not exactly. I quoted you a price for replacing the water heater, not renovating the house.”

Luna’s eyes went as wide as planets when she realized what Robin was implying. There was no way she could accept that. It was just too much, “but that’s so much work. I can’t just let you-“

“But nothing,” Robin cut her off, “if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll take the money for the water heater but that’s it. Besides, you paid me more than enough when I restored an upgraded the barn.”

“Yeah, but that was just for the barn,” Luna said frantically. Her inner artist was throwing a fit over the idea of not fairly compensating someone for their work, “this is so generous, but I can’t accept it. It’s too much.”

Robin took a step towards Luna and rested a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing. Luna tried to look at the floor, but it was no use. One thing Robin and her son had in common was the uncanny ability to magnetize people at will with their eyes.

“Don’t worry about it,” Robin said in the most reassuring tone Luna had ever heard, “I’m doing this because I want to. If you’re really that concerned about paying me, we can work something out later. For now, let me help you, okay?”

It was at this point that Luna realized she was fighting a losing battle. She let out a sigh of defeat, “okay.”

Robin smiled warmly at her, the edges of her moss green eyes crinkling the same way her own mothers did when she smiled like that. She really did just want to help her. Luna was suddenly struck by just how well Robin’s name suited her; she felt like a baby bird protected beneath its mothers’ wings.

“Hey, I got the measurements.”

At the sound of his voice, Luna turned around to find Sebastian propped up against the doorway. Her eyes practically jumped out of her skull at the sight of Pancake cradled contentedly in his arms, tail swishing back and forth like a metronome. The cat slow-blinked at her, but she was so dumbfounded she forgot to do it back.

“How the hell did you do that?” Luna said, taking a step towards him.

“Easy. I used a tape measure.”

Luna stopped herself from smacking her forehead, “no,” she pointed at the unusually calm cat in his arms, “how did you pick him up?”

“I put my hands under his arms and lifted,” Sebastian shrugged.

“Yeah no shit,” Luna quipped. Now she was having to stop herself from smacking _him_ , “he doesn’t even let me pick him up. He didn’t fight you on it at all?”

Before Sebastian could explain his cat whispering ways, Robin took a step forward and scratched behind Pancake’s ears. His eyes drifted shut as he rubbed up against her fingers. Robin chuckled, “Sebby’s always been good with cats. Only reason we don’t have one is because Demetrius is allergic.”

“When we found out we had to put my cat up for adoption,” Sebastian added, sounding bitter despite the obvious effort to keep his tone even. Pancake harrumphed as Robin pulled her hand away, and Sebastian’s face instantly softened. He gently pressed a kiss to the top of Pancake’s furry orange head, and Luna could feel her heart melt like ice cream.

“Well, so long as Luna’s okay with it, now you can visit Pancake to get your feline fix in,” Robin said.

Sebastian seemed unfazed by this proposition, but Luna couldn’t help but smile at the idea of company every once in awhile, even if it was more for Pancake than herself, “I wouldn’t mind that.”

Sebastian shrugged, “okay.”

With that, Pancake decided he was done being worshipped for the day and began wriggling in Sebastian’s arms, letting himself down with an audible thud before scurrying underneath the bed.

“Well then,” Robin cleared her throat, “I suppose I’ll get started on the water heater. Sebastian, do you have the measurements I asked for?”

He nodded, “Yeah. You might need to replace a few of the windows.”

“Mmm, this house is old. I’m not surprised,” Robin affirmed. She smiled at Luna before starting for the front door, “I’ll be out back if you need me.”

“You don’t need my help?” Sebastian called after her.

“Nah, I got it covered. Sorry to leave you with babysitting duty, Luna,” she winked, slipping outside before her son had the chance to protest.

Luna bit her lip, struggling not to laugh as she turned to face her newly appointed ward, “do you like hide and go seek? Maybe tag? I can make you a PB and J if you’re hungry. What time does your mom usually put you down for a nap?”

“Shut up,” Sebastian grumbled, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite himself, “for the record, I’m usually still asleep right now. No nap required.”

Luna looked out the window behind him. Even with the monsoon weather blanketing the valley in hot, sticky clouds, she could still hazard a guess that it was around 9 or 10. Yoba, she missed the days when she was able to sleep in this late. She’d gotten used to having to be up at eight every morning after working for Joja, and now her ever-growing list of farm work dragged her up and out of bed no later than six.

“Well, what do you want to do then?” Luna questioned.

Sebastian shrugged, “what’s there to do around here?”

“Do you want a tour of the farm?”

A strange, almost guilty look overcame Sebastian’s face, his mouth pulling into a straight line and his eyes falling to the floor, “uh, that’s not really necessary. I’m familiar with it.”

Luna raised an eyebrow, “oh yeah? How so.”

Sebastian looked uncomfortable. He ran a hand through his hair before admitting to her, “uh, Abigail, Sam, and I used to hangout up here a lot.”

“I feel like there’s more to it than that,” Luna goaded him, considering the look on his face. Now she was curious. She jabbed a finger into his shoulder, “come on, tell me.”

Though she hadn’t poked him forcefully, Sebastian swayed a bit at her touch. He finally looked back up at and swatted her hand away, sighing, “okay fine. You just can’t tell my mom. We used to sneak up here and uh, smoke out in the abandoned green house.”

Luna’s eyes widened. Not at the confession itself, but their choice of venue for partaking in the Devil’s lettuce. She smirked, “you guys used to get high… in the _green house_?” she wiggled her eyebrows at him for emphasis.

It took Sebastian half a second to catch on. He snorted, turning away from her and covering his mouth with his hand as he laughed. Luna felt something inside her light up at the sound of his feather-light laughter. It reminded her of windchimes twinkling in a gentle breeze.

“That was unintentional,” he chuckled, finally coming back to himself, “I have no idea how we never noticed that.”

“You were probably way too stoned to notice.”

Sebastian smiled again, and Luna decided she liked him better when he was smiling. It suited him. It was then that an idea struck her; she may have something for them to do that won’t only keep them occupied for a while, but also keep his smile from slipping so she could admire it longer.

“Follow me. I wanna show you something.”

* * *

 

Luna watched Sebastian’s face carefully, worried that this may not have been a good idea. After his encounter with Pancake, she’d been hoping that he liked animals enough to possibly have an affinity for varieties other than feline. Now she wasn’t so sure.

Sebastian stared into enclosure as if he were looking at a gang of velociraptors rather than a handful of baby goats. He wouldn’t even stand next to Luna at the fence, opting to keep a safe distance by staying a few feet behind her.

“Well, what do you think?” Luna asked, having a feeling she already knew his answer.

“Uh… they’re definitely goats,” Sebastian stated, sounding as unsure as he looked.

“Indeed.”

Luna looked back into the enclosure just in time to watch Azazel, the smallest and most rambunctious of the bunch, knock Lucifer off the teeter totter Marnie had set up for them. Lucifer bleated before dashing towards the fence, ricocheting off it and landing on all four hooves like a skilled acrobat. The goat’s chaotic tendencies overjoyed Luna, but Sebastian took another step backwards.

“Oh my gosh, are you scared of them?” Luna gasped, struggling not to laugh at his obvious terror.

Sebastian shook his head, “I’m not scared. I just don’t trust them. Quadrupeds shouldn’t be able to do parkour.”

“Pfft,” Luna snorted, “what’s not to trust?” she said as she swung a leg over the railing and hopped the fence, landing much more gracefully than she’d anticipated. She hadn’t at all pegged Sebastian as someone who’d be afraid of goats, of all things. He was looking at her as if she’d lost her mind.

As if sensing an opportunity to contradict her, the three goats circled her like piranhas that had just spotted blood in the water, bleating at her for treats. Despite their insistence, she gently pushed them away with her boots to prove a point to Sebastian, who still looked like he had half a mind to make a run for it.

“C’mere,” Luna muttered, bending down to pick up Baphomet, a pointed brown baby who was easily the most mellow of the bunch. She protested as Luna scooped her up into her arms, but instantly calmed down when she scratched behind her ears, “come on. Look at this little angel. What’s not to love?”

Sebastian grimaced, feet still firmly set in place, “I would hardly call them angels. I’m pretty sure all goats are part demon.”

“Rude!” Luna exclaimed, bouncing Baphomet as if she were cradling a human baby in her arms rather than a goat. Baphomet’s yellow eyes had sought Sebastian out as if she could smell his fear. To his credit, Sebastian didn’t look away, trying to prove that he wasn’t so chicken that he’d lose a staring contest with a goat. It wasn’t working. He still looked like he was about to shit himself.

“Alright, come here,” Luna instructed, beckoning him closer by lifting her chin, “I’m helping you face your fear today.”

“I’m not getting in that enclosure, if that’s what you’re after,” he scoffed.

“Ugh, just come here,” Luna rolled her eyes.

Sebastian didn’t move for at least a minute, but once he realized he wasn’t getting out of this without never hearing the end of it, he yielded. With a loud sigh, he stepped towards the fence, still careful to keep a safe distance between himself and his new arch nemesis.

Luna couldn’t help the victorious grin from spreading across her face. She pointed her chin down at the goat in her arms, “Sebastian, meet Baphomet,” she looked back up at him, “Baphomet, Sebastian.”

He raised an eyebrow at her in disbelief, “you’re trying to tell me that they aren’t part demon when you’ve literally named one of them Baphomet?”

Luna narrowed her eyes at him despite knowing full well that she’d just stuck her foot in her mouth. It was probably a good idea not to mention the other two’s names. She decided to ignore him, stating coolly, “pet the goat, Sebastian.”

“I’d like to keep my fingers, thanks.”

Luna couldn’t stop the annoyed from escaping her mouth. This was worse than trying to convince a toddler to eat their vegetables, “Baphomet is a lady,” she emphasized by patting her head, “she doesn’t bite.”

Sebastian’s face still said ‘I don’t trust like that’ without him having to speak. Luna rolled her eyes, “give me your hand.”

Sebastian opened his mouth to protest, but Luna cut him off before he could say anything, “I promise that she isn’t going to hurt you,” she said reassuringly, offering him her freehand, “trust me.”

Luna couldn’t help but stare at Sebastian’s bottom lip as he pulled it into his mouth in contemplation. After what felt like forever, he finally placed his hand in Luna’s.

“Don’t worry,” she winked, “if I’m wrong and she does take one of your fingers, you can teach me how to code for you.”

Sebastian laughed beside himself, “Ha. Deal.”

Luna smiled softly at him. It was strange. Though he usually looked uncomfortable and out of place anytime he ventured out from the comfort of his basement, here, acting as the foreground to a vast expanse of sunflowers and maple trees and hair tousled by the sweet summer breeze, he looked like he belonged there, his dark the focal point to an otherwise overwhelmingly bright painting.

Shaking off her daze, Luna gently guided his hand to the top of Baphomet’s head, saying, “it’s fine, you’re fine,” when he almost pulled away. She placed his hand between Baphomet’s ears, watching his face carefully as she guided him to stroke from her forehead to the back of her neck. She felt herself light up when she noticed the tension in his shoulders drop.

“See? Not so bad, huh?”

“I guess not,” he said, sounding much less nervous than he had before.

Smiling at his progress, Luna let her hand fall away from his, so he could pet Baphomet at his own pace. Her gaze ventured upwards from his hand until she was looking at his face, lips pursed and eyes on the goat as if he still didn’t trust her, but he was trying.

“Do you want to hold her?” she giggled.

“Don’t push your luck,” he scoffed, scratching behind one of Baphomet’s big, floppy ears. He startled when she bleated at him, but he didn’t back away.

Once again, Luna found herself studying him. He was standing close enough that she could count his eyelashes if she wanted too, though it’d be a lost cause with how thick and dark they were. It wasn’t fair. She’d kill for eyelashes as gorgeous as his. It was equally unfair how clear his skin was, smooth and unblemished aside from the purple thumbprints beneath his eyes. He was so… pretty, for a boy, of course.

Feeling her eyes on him, Sebastian looked up from Baphomet to meet Luna’s gaze. He knitted his eyebrows, “what?”

“What do you mean, ‘what?’” she retorted, embarrassed over getting caught.

“You were staring at me.”

“I was staring at your eyebags,” she shrugged, opting to look down at Baphomet rather than him. At least it wasn’t a total lie, “did you get any sleep last night?”

Sebastian’s expression didn’t harden, but his tone did, “did you?”

Luna huffed, shifting Baphomet in her arms. She’d woken up in a panic after dreaming about Lorelei and hadn’t had any luck getting back to sleep afterwards. She’d technically been awake since four and was sure she looked the part.

“There you guys are.”

Before either of them could get another word in, Robin had made her way to the enclosure. Her hands were caked with dirt and the heat had left her forehead slicked with a thin veil of sweat, but she carried herself as if she’d just woken up from a good night’s sleep. Had it of not been for her appearance, Luna would have never guessed that she’d just spent the last hour installing a new water heater.

“Well, everything’s good to go. The new water heater’s installed and I loaded the old one up into the truck. The water still needs to heat up though, so it’ll be a little while before you have hot water again,” Robin said, eying Baphomet almost as suspiciously as her son had.

“Want to pet her?” Luna offered, taking a step towards Robin.

Even with the fence acting as a barrier, Robin took a step back with a nervous laugh, “ah ha, I think I’m okay.”

Luna smirked to herself. So that’s where Sebastian’s fear of goats had probably stemmed from. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. Having had enough attention for one day, Baphomet squirmed in her arms. She gently set her down before hoisting herself up and over the fence to stand with Robin and Sebastian.

“Thank you,” Luna said gratefully, taking a moment to dust her hands off on her jeans before extending one to Robin, “you have no idea how much I appreciate your help.”

“Ah, it’s no big deal,” Robin insisted, taking Luna’s hand in a firm shake. She hadn’t bothered wiping them off and Luna’s palm came back smeared with grime. She grimaced and tried to covertly wipe her hand off again.

“Well, we better git. I gotta get Sebby here back to the house before I head into town. Gus is thinking about having the cabinets at the Saloon stained a darker color. I’ll be back up here tomorrow morning to start on the kitchen,” Robin said, taking a step backwards. She nodded at her son, “come on, let’s go.”

As Robin made her way to the truck, Sebastian turned to face Luna. He looked as if he wanted to say something to her, but instead he just stared at her with his mouth half open for a few seconds before getting annoyed with himself and shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

“What?”” Luna raised an eyebrow at him in mock seriousness, mimicking his tone from earlier. He laughed through his nose.

“Nothing,” Sebastian shrugged. He offered Luna a smile so soft it was just barely noticeable before taking a few steps backwards towards, “I guess I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah,” Luna said, again mimicking his expression, just in a more genuine sense this time. Part of her really wanted to hug him, but she wasn’t sure if they were good enough friends for that yet. She settled on an awkward wave, “I’ll be around.”

Again, Sebastian looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Again, Luna found herself thinking about how pretty he was, and how his dark was the perfect juxtaposition to the brightness of her farm.

Their silence was interrupted by a car horn, startling them both. As if to punctuate it being Sebastian’s time to go, little Azazel rammed his head into the fence with a loud thud and shrill bleat. Luna was unphased, but Sebastian power-walked to the truck as if he were afraid of being ran off the farm by none other than Azazel himself.

“Bye!” Luna called as they pulled away, dust kicking up as Robin turned and putted back up the hill. She could have sworn she saw Sebastian staring at her in the rear view mirror as they drove away, but there was still a chance that he was just making sure the goats weren’t following them. She couldn’t help but laugh at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So this chapter took much longer for me to finish than I'd originally anticipated. I ended up taking a Summer class this year so my time and energy was spread pretty thin, hence less time and energy for writing. Ooops. Unless California gets hit by another earthquake the next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long.  
> Also, I decided to make a Stardew Valley blog! You can follow me on tumblr @rosewood-hills for more content. If I have any headcanons, art, updates, etc. to share with you guys, it'll be posted there. You can also follow my personal blog @brandydoll if you want.  
> Anyway, thank you to everyone that's taken the time to read Cut and Run, leave kudos, and write comments! I'm genuinely surprised and delighted at how many of you are enjoying the story so far, so thank you! <3 I'll see you all soon.


	11. Four of Hearts

**Ramona Salazar**

<IMAGE SENT>

Bought my bus ticket today!

ITS OFFICIAL!!!!

 

**Luna McCarty**

OH HELL YEAH

YEE FUCKIN HA

 

**Ramona Salazar**

lmao

You haven’t even been on the farm that long and you’re already talking like a cowboy

 

**Luna McCarty**

I wanna be a cowboy babeey

 

**Ramona Salazar**

I WANNA BE A COWBOY BABY

 

**Luna McCarty**

About when should I be expecting you?

 

**Ramona Salazar**

I’ll be there on the 19th and I’m leaving on the 1st

 

**Luna McCarty**

Yooooooo you’re staying for 10 days! Awesome

 

**Ramona Salazar**

Yeah I managed to weasel out of staying with my grandparents for the entire month so I’ll be your problem for 10 WHOLE DAYS

 

**Luna McCarty**

Wow what an honor lol

I can’t wait to see you, you have no idea D;

 

**Ramona Salazar**

Ugh dude same

I can’t believe it’s been so long. I’m looking forward to meeting your new posse

 

**Luna McCarty**

Posse?

**Ramona Salazar**

Yeah

Sam and Abigail and that other guy

 

**Luna McCarty**

Sebastian? Lol

 

**Ramona Salazar**

YES the one that’s mean to you, I wanna fight him

 

**Luna McCarty**

That won’t be necessary. We’re cool now

 

**Ramona Salazar**

I’ll be the judge of that

I don’t trust guys who are still trying to be Gerard Way after high school

 

**Luna McCarty**

OOF THAT’S SO MEAN

 

**Ramona Salazar**

If you tell me that he’s in a band that’s it. I’m decking him. Especially if he’s the singer

 

**Luna McCarty**

STOP

 

* * *

 

Luna readjusted the crate of tomatoes in her arms as she approached Pierre’s General Store, cursing herself for being too stubborn to split the trip in two. It was a sizzling 101 degrees outside, and she thought that it’d be easier if she delivered everything in one go. That assumption turned out to be incorrect. Instead she ended up with a crate so heavy that the walk into town took twice as long, not to mention no air-conditioned break in between trips.

Careful not to drop her precious cargo, Luna used her hip to push open the door to Pierre’s General Store, sweet relief washing over her in the form of cool air.

“Luna!” the store’s namesake greeted her, “yoba, let me help you with that.”

Pierre rushed out from his place behind the register and and took the overflowing crate from, somehow managing to not drop anything in the process. Luna was too preoccupied with silently lamenting over her aching arms to thank him as they approached the counter.

“I’m surprised you managed to make it all the way here with all those tomatoes,” Pierre mused, setting the crate down on the counter with an audible thud. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and smiled at her, “you’re quite the trooper.”

“Ha, thanks,” Luna sighed, still breathless. She took a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead, “and thank you for helping me with that. I don’t know what I was thinking trying to get it here all in one trip.”

“Mmmm. Work smarter, not harder,” agreed Pierre, returning to his usual vantage point behind the counter. He plucked a tomato out from the top of the pile to inspect it, “wow, these look incredible,” he commented, turning the plump red fruit in his hand, “I’m surprised the soil up at that old farm hasn’t lost its quality after all these years.”

Luna couldn’t help the small burst of pride she felt from his compliment. She was finally starting to get the hang of this farming thing, “thank you,” she grinned.

“Those Joja Corp bastards may have better prices, but they’ll never have quality products like this,” Pierre proclaimed, holding the tomato up as if it were made of gold for emphasis.

“That’s true,” Luna laughed halfheartedly. As much as she loved shit-talking Joja Corp, especially with Pierre- the man could come up with some creative insults when you got him going -she wasn’t particularly keen on getting sucked into it today.

Pierre placed the tomato back in its place before sidestepping to the register to procure Luna’s payment. Okay, that was a good sign. Usually when he was cruising for a bitch fest, he would jump straight into it and wouldn’t get started on anything else until he was finished. Luna watched him in silence as he rifled though the register.

“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,” Pierre said suddenly, not only sounding exasperated, but looking the part, “my products are far superior to what Joja has to offer and everyone knows it. In fact, they tell me so! Just the other day, Evelyn came in and told me that the ‘fresh’ corn she’d bought from them had been just awful, but she hasn’t been back since. Caroline said that she saw her heading over to Joja Mart this morning. I just don’t get it.”

Luna grimaced. He’d completely stopped counting her payment and had instead focused on his rant. Not wanting to egg on his rant, she simply nodded in response.

When he didn’t receive the response he’d been expecting, Pierre sighed through his nose before returning to counting Luna’s money. She watched in silent anticipation as he stacked gold notes, praying that he wouldn’t stop to continue with his rant.

Luna’s heart race stupidly shot up when he extended the stack of gold notes out to her. Finally, she could make her escape. She had just reached out to take her money and run when Pierre’s hand fell just out of her reach. She screamed inwardly.

“You know, sometimes I worry that I’m not gonna make it.”

Luna’s eyes bulged out of her skull at his suddenly melancholic tone, “come again?”

Pierre sighed deeply, crossing his arms- and Luna’s money -across his chest. Now Luna was too concerned about what he’d possibly just inferred to be annoyed.

“I’m genuinely concerned that Joja is going to run me out of business,” Pierre explained, trying his hardest to look strong though it was obvious that he was really, truly worried, “I can’t compete with their prices. So long as they’re here, I’ll be struggling to make ends meet.”

“Ah, Pierre, it’ll be okay,” Luna attempted to reassure him, “Joja’s got nothing on you. Eventually everyone will realize just how awful their stuff is and come back to you. You’ll see.”

Pierre nodded slowly, as if thinking about something. Luna couldn’t keep her eyes from finding the gold notes still clutched in his hand.

“I wonder how good Joja’s overnight security team is,” Pierre thought aloud. There was a sudden devious spark in his eye, “and I wonder if they were smart enough to use fire retardant paint when they built the place...”

Luna blinked at him, “what?”

“Just a thought,” he shrugged, “sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands, you know.”

“Sure?” Luna replied, the word coming out more as a question than an affirmation. She eyed the wad of cash in his hands. Okay, now she really needed to get out of here before she got roped into something illegal.

Just as Pierre was about to go off on another tangent, the door beside the counter swung open aggressively, startling them both. Their heads whipped around just in time to see Abigail casually stroll into the store as if she hadn’t just thrown the door open like a bat out of hell.

“Hey, Luna,” Abigail smiled, taking a second to adjust the small leather bag on her hip. Luna was almost certain she could she a sword tied to the back of her belt as well, positioned as if she were trying to hide it.

“Abby,” Pierre deadpanned, giving her a fierce stink eye, “do you have any idea what time it is?”

Abigail stepped around the counter so that she was standing next to Luna, covertly adjusting herself so the sword wasn’t visible to Pierre, “no. I don’t know how to read.”

Luna stifled a giggle as Pierre’s nostrils flared and his mouth pulled into a thin line, “Abigail,” he warned.

She shrugged, “sorry dad. Guess I just overslept.”

“Abigail,” he repeated, sounding exasperated, “I told Jodi you’d deliver her groceries at nine so she wouldn’t have to leave Vincent with Penny on her day off. Your mom is helping Evelyn with her garden today, so I had to close up shop to handle the delivery. Who knows how many sales we lost to Joja in that time.”

“You could have woken me up,” Abigail said pointedly, crossing her arms. She still looked unfazed, but Luna was becoming even more eager to leave now that she was witnessing family drama. She linked her fingers behind her back and rocked on her heels, trying to distract herself.

“That’s besides the point. You knew I needed your help this morning and you didn’t show up,” said Pierre, both his tone and posture growing more aggravated with every word, “and I did try to wake you up. Your door was locked and you ignored me banging on the door-“

“I was asleep,” Abigail cut him off, remaining cool, “I stayed up late last night doing homework.”

From the sound of Pierre’s exasperated sigh, he knew that he’d be better off trying to convince a wall. He pinched the bridge of his nose, “you don’t understand at all. That or you just don’t care. I can’t tell anymore.”

 “Pierre! Good afternoon to you!”

The sound of Gus’ jolly singsong greeting was music to Luna’s ears. She looked over her shoulder to see the portly man approaching them, his round face just as cheery as his tone.

It was like a switch went off inside Pierre, crashing DisappointedFather.exe and booting up Customer Service mode. He grinned at Gus as if he hadn’t just been grilling his daughter, stepping out from behind the counter to greet him, “it’s a good afternoon indeed! Here to pick up supplies to survive the weekend?”

“I am,” Gus nodded. He turned to wave at Luna and Abigail, “hi, girls. Sure is a scorcher out there, ain’t it?”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t left the house all day,” said Abigail.

Gus laughed, “wish I could say the same! Just the walk here from the Saloon has me sweatin’ like a sinner in church.”

Luna bobbed her head up in down in agreement, her prayers seemingly answered, “yeah, it’s nasty out there.”

“Gus,” Pierre cleared his throat, “why don’t I show you the fresh produce that Luna just delivered. I’m sure you’ll be interested in the tomatoes; they’re ripe and juicy looking. Perfect for your famous spaghetti sauce.”

Gus’ eyes twinkled like diamonds when he noticed the abundantly packed crate of produce occupying the counter, making a beeline for it as if he were worried that someone else would get the first pick if he didn’t move quickly. He picked a tomato and inspected it as if he were admiring a prismatic shard rather than a vegetable, “ah, beautiful,” he beamed.

Pierre offered Luna a polite smile before finally extending her payment out to her. She felt as if she could finally release the tension she’d been holding in her shoulders as she stuffed the wad of cash into her back pocket, “thank you,” she grinned at him.

“You’re welcome.”

Apparently, Abigail had had enough as well, reaching for Luna’s wrist and pulling her towards the front door, “come on, let’s get out of here.”

At the sound of bells Pierre called something after Abigail, but they were out the door and into the scorching Summer heat before he could get more than “hey!” out.

“Ugh, sorry about that,” Abigail said with a sheepish laugh, dropping Luna’s wrist as they walked towards the mountain path, “once dad get’s going on something he just doesn’t shut up. We’re lucky Gus dropped in when he did.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Luna shrugged, unsure if she was referring to Pierre’s Joja smear campaign or his lecturing Abigail in front of her. She watched as Abigail pulled her purple curls up into a messy bun at the top of her head, securing it with a hair tie and bobby pins that had seemingly materialized out of nowhere.

“I heard him going off on one of his Joja tangents and figured I should rescue you,” she explained, pulling a pin open with her teeth, “I wasn’t expecting him to have a go at me like that though. I figured he’d shoo you off first.”

Well, that answered Luna’s question. They came to a halt in front of the stairs that led up to the abandoned community center. They hadn’t even been outside for five minutes and Luna’s face was already sticky with sweat.

“Which way are you going?” Abigail asked as they slowly ascended the stairs.

Luna blinked. Did she need to go that way? Well, now that she’d finally been paid, she could give some money to Robin to help pay for the renovations. Luna was insistent on throwing cash her way whenever she could despite Robin’s swearing it wasn’t necessary, “I’m headed to Robin’s place.”

“Cool. I’m going to the mines. I’ll walk with you.”

It was comfortably silent for a few minutes as the girls trekked forward, save for the bees buzzing and wind rustling through leaves. Had it of not been so miserably hot outside, it would have been the perfect setting for an afternoon for a walk.

“So…” Luna started, feeling as if she should say something before the silence became awkward, “does your dad talk about committing arson on Joja Corp property often, or did I just get lucky?”

Abigail snorted so loudly she startled one of the blue jays in a nearby tree, the bird flapping away as if it feared for its life, “Oh my god,” she cackled, “he joked about it when they first opened, back when he didn’t see them as a threat, but if he mentioned it to you he must seriously be considering it. Wow,” she paused to catch her breath, “maybe I really am his daughter after all.”

Luna cocked her head. She had the sneaking suspicion that there was more to that statement than Abigail was letting on, but decided it wasn’t her place to ask. She figured that Pierre’s desire to set Joja Mart ablaze was still safe territory though, “Yeah, he sounded pretty serious about it. If you didn’t show up when you did, he might have asked me to be an accomplice. Do you think he’d actually do it?”

“Ha, no way,” Abigail guffawed. Luna noticed that she made a point out of kicking rocks out of her way as they walked instead of just stepping over them, “my dad’s all talk when it comes to Joja. He always says how one of these days he’s gonna give Morris a piece of his mind, but he can’t even look the dude in the eye. He’s like a chihuahua that thinks it’s a pit bull.”

“Chihuahuas usually try to fight anyway though. They’re tenacious little fuckers.”

“Whatever. He’s still all bark and no bite.”

Luna nodded, chewing the inside of her mouth. She liked Abigail well enough, but Pierre was her main source of income and she felt like it was in poor taste to talk about him behind his back. She changed the subject, “so what are you studying in school?”

“Undeclared,” Abigail said flatly.

“Oh, okay,” she hadn’t expected that answer, “uh… what classes are you taking?”

“Just Geology for now. The deal was that I wouldn’t have to work over Summer so long as I’m in school,” Abigail explained, still kicking rocks instead of dodging them, “the only reason I’m going to school in the first place is to appease my parents. It’s really not my thing.”

“What is your thing then?”

There was a beat of silence as they continued up the trail. Abigail held a faraway look on her face, as if she could project herself somewhere else if she focused hard enough.

“Not school. And definitely not spending the rest of my life working for my dad,” she finally answered. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back, inhaling deeply, “not to be cliché, but my thing is adventure. Exploring. There’s so much more out there, and I want to see it.”

Luna smiled, charmed by Abigail’s wanderlust. It sounded close to what someone else had told her recently, “that’s one thing you and Sebastian have in common. You’re both biting at the bit to get out of here.”

“Well, Sebastian’s already got one foot out the door since he scored that job with Joja. If they end up liking his work enough, they’ll offer him a position out in the city,” Abigail explained as they traversed the final set of steps towards Robin’s place, “I just need to find my ticket out of here.”

Luna’s stomach went cold at the mention of Joja Corp and the city. She’d been so miserable there that she couldn’t even begin to fathom wanting to leave Stardew Valley for that awful place. She grimaced as she and Abigail came to a stop in the clearing, “he’s good at what he does. I’m sure Joja will snatch him up and as soon as they have a position open.”

Abigail looked equally put off by the thought of moving to the city. She shrugged, “yeah, well. So long as he’s happy, I guess. I have no interest in the city. Sailing the Gem Sea and backpacking across the Ferngil wilderness is more my speed.”

“Good,” Luna said as the wind picked up, whipping her hair up and into her face, pink strands sticking to her sweaty face. She pushed it back, “trust me. You want nothing to do with Zuzu City.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. Sebastian’s the one who’s hellbent on moving there,” Abigail laughed. She paused and stretched her arms up towards the sky, “Well, it was nice walking with you, but this is where we go our separate ways.”

“Right. Well, I’ll see you soon,” Luna bid her farewell. Abigail offered her a two-finger salute and a lopsided smile before about-facing and continuing her journey to the mines. It really was a wonder how Abigail was, well, _Abigail_ , considering how normal her parents seemed in comparison. She was a scoop of rainbow sherbet atop a vanilla sundae, and that’s what Luna liked about her.

As Luna approached Robin’s house, she noticed something peculiar. The garage door was open and from it the familiar drone of Joy Division’s _Love Will Tear Us Apart_ drifted on the air. Perplexed, her path averted from the front door to the garage.

Luna’s eyebrows shot up as she stepped up the driveway, surprised to see a vintage blue motorcycle parked there, and even more surprised to see Sebastian lying beneath it.

She came to a stop in front of him, not sure if she was more shocked by the pristine condition of the bike or Sebastian’s rolled up sleeves. She found herself gawking at the muscles of his forearms as they tensed and relaxed while he worked, the pale skin there glistening with sweat and grease.

It wasn’t long before Luna’s shadow alerted him to her presence, Sebastian startling a bit at the sight of her and knocking over the toolbox beside him.

“Shit, Luna, hey,” he said, scrambling to pull down his sleeves before he sat up to greet her.

“Sorry,” Luna laughed, despite being a bit confused by his first instinct being to pull his sleeves back down. She brushed it off, “did I scare you?”

“No, but you did startle me.”

Luna rolled her eyes, “same difference.”

“I beg to differ,” Sebastian’s mouth turned up into a half smile, “you just snuck up on me. If you really want to scare me, you’re gonna have to try harder than that.”

“I could fall into the river again.”

“Are you sure you’re willing to take that risk? I said I wouldn’t jump in after you again, remember?”

Luna raised an eyebrow at him, “are you saying that wouldn’t scare you?”

Now Sebastian was rolling his eyes, though he still wore that tight-lipped half smile that made Luna want to smile back at him, “fine,” he threw his hands up in defeat, “I surrender. And please don’t do that.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m sure I can find other ways to give you a good spook,” Luna winked, taking a step into the garage. It wasn’t much cooler in there than outside, but the shade was a major relief from the sun’s merciless beating. She took a moment to inspect the motorcycle, admiring just how good it looked despite being an older model. The chrome looked as if it had been freshly shined and there wasn’t a chip to be found in the shimmering blue paint.

“I didn’t know you had a motorcycle,” Luna mused, resisting the urge run her hands over it like a kid in a toy store.

Sebastian shrugged, “it never came up.”

“Most guys with motorcycles that I’ve met can’t shut up about them. You must have good self-control,” Luna replied, watching Sebastian as he carefully gathered the spilled tools and put them back in order.

“I’m also not trying to impress you,” he added, before leaning back down and sliding himself underneath the bike, “I just happen to have a motorcycle.”

Luna rolled her eyes leaned the small of her back against a workbench behind her. Of course he wasn’t trying to impress her. She wasn’t sure if that made her feel relieved or disappointed. Part of her wanted to kick the toolbox back over so he’d have to clean it up again for no other reason than just wanting to be petty.

It was silent between them for a few minutes, aside from Ian Curtis’ vocals haunting the garage like his ghost was there with them. Luna’s calves throbbed, still recovering from the uphill walk. She decided to take a break for a few minutes before going inside to talk to Robin.

As much as Luna appreciated Sebastian’s meticulous work habits, she found herself getting bored after a few minutes of watching him, her eyes beginning to wander. The garage was well, a garage. Robin’s pickup truck was parked right next to the bike, various tools and woodworking supplies lined the walls, and they had a refrigerator where Luna assumed they kept their drinks. The only thing of interest aside from Sebastian himself was the old boombox and massive CD collection that lined the far wall.

Curious, Luna left her place against the work bench to get a better look. She was surprised to find that it wasn’t just CDs that lined the shelves, but countless cassette tapes and records, so many that the shelves had bent from the weight of it all. Now she was really interested. She crouched down and began wading through the plethora of music.

The collection consisted of stuff from the 80s and 90s, ranging from singles by the Eurythmics to well-loved Siouxsie and the Banshees cassettes. Luna had heard of most of it, impressed upon discovering Bauhaus’ full discography and gasping out loud when she stumbled upon an autographed copy of Depeche Mode’s _Violator_. There were also countless mixtapes and burned CDs with artists and songs she’d never heard of, and others labeled things like “for punching walls” or “long drives.”

“Do you have anything that wasn’t recorded before 1995?” Luna joked, peering over her shoulder at Sebastian. She was surprised to find him already looking at her, as if he’d been waiting for her to say something to him.

“On my computer, yeah,” he said, “that’s my dad’s old music collection.”

Luna raised and eyebrow at him and held up a Bauhaus vinyl, “Really? I’m having a hard time picturing Demetrius grooving to ‘Bela Lugosi’s Dead.’”

“Not Demetrius,” Sebastian scoffed, sounding almost offended at the notion, “I mean my real dad. He didn’t take that stuff with him when he left.”

Luna blinked, and judging from the way Sebastian was looking at her, her face had noticeably fell, “oh,” she said quietly. She’d known that Demetrius wasn’t his biological father, but she’d never stop to consider what all that really meant. Now she felt like an asshole for bringing it up. She avoided his gaze, instead staring down at the Bauhaus vinyl she held in her hands.

“It’s okay,” Sebastian said nonchalantly, having taken notice of her discomfort, “I developed my impeccable taste in music from listening to that stuff all the time as a kid. I mean, I did get a cool ride out of it. He left the motorcycle too.”

Luna straightened one of the corners of the worn-out cover between her fingers. Judging from the contents of the music collection and Maru’s age compared to his, he’d grown up without his dad too. Though their situations were completely different, she was curious if his childhood after his dad left had been anything like hers after her dad had passed away. It was common ground they stood on together without realizing it.

Even though Luna felt his eyes on her back, she was still surprised when she looked over her shoulder to find him staring at her like he was. He’d sat back up again, one elbow resting on his knee and his cheek pressed against his knuckles. Despite the turn their conversation had taken, he didn’t look sad. If anything, he looked as if he were gauging whether he’d over stepped a boundary instead of the other way around.

“Can I ask you something?” Luna finally spoke. Sebastian nodded. She bit her bottom lip. Knowing what she did about his father leaving and her earlier conversation with Abigail, another question begged to be asked.

“What’s stopping you from leaving here?” She asked, “You told me you want to get out of Pelican Town and move to the city. You have your bike. What’s holding you back?”

Sebastian made a noise like he was going to say something but stopped himself. His gaze fell from hers, meeting the stained concrete in a long staring contest. Luna got the impression that it’d been a long time since he’d really thought about it.

“I have loose ends to tie up here first,” he shrugged, still looking at the ground, “I need to find a permanent job out in the city and a place to live before I can move out there. I don’t want to just take off without a plan,” he paused and looked back up at her. He tugged his lip ring into his mouth as he pondered what to say next, and Luna’s stomach tightened at the sight of his teeth grazing his bottom lip, “plus gas is so damn expensive.”

“Fair enough,” Luna said with a small smile. It was true. There was a lot more to leaving than just the act itself. She knew that from first hand experience. Still, she felt like there was more to Sebastian’s wanting to leave than just getting out of Pelican Town, and more than just logistics holding him back. She decided it was best to drop the subject, sliding the well-loved Bauhaus record back in its place before standing up.

“Sometimes after sundown I make the long ride out of Stardew Valley,” Sebastian said, voice distant even though he sat only a few feet away from her, “there’s nothing else like it, blazing down the empty stretch of road towards the faint glow of the city.”

Luna nodded, trying to picture the image in her head, but she struggled to do so. She understood his desire to run but couldn’t fathom ever returning to Zuzu City after leaving the way she did. In her mind’s eye she saw dirty concrete and flickering streetlamps and smelled burned rubber and sewage gas, nothing like the glowing place Sebastian pictured.

“Hey… maybe I can take you for a ride sometime?” Sebastian suggested, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Luna was suddenly pulled away from her vision of the city and back to the present, her stomach fluttering at the proposition.

“That sounds fun,” Luna replied, even though she was terrified of motorcycles. She might be willing to make an exception for Sebastian, though.

“Great,” he said simply, before leaning back down and sliding himself beneath his bike, “well, I need to get back to work. I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah. See you around,” Luna confirmed, unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face as she left the garage and headed for the front door, somehow feeling warmer than she had when she got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AT LONG LAST IT'S FINALLY HERE. Sorry this chapter took so bloody long! I'd been going ham with the writing and burned myself out a bit, so I've spent the last few weeks focused on drawing instead. Luna's best friend, Ramona, will be arriving in the next chapter and I'm hoping that it won't take me nearly as long to post as this one did.  
> As always, thank you for the wonderful comments, bookmarks, kudos, and hits! <3 It makes my heart full that you guys are enjoying this as much as I am.


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